Rajinikanth Reveals Aishwarya Rai Was His First Choice for Padayappa

The superstar confessed he was willing to wait “2–3 years” for Aishwarya Rai to play the iconic antagonist Neelambari, but she was reportedly “not interested” in the 1999 hit.

December 10, 2025: Ahead of the re-release of his 1999 blockbuster, Padayappa, superstar Rajinikanth has revealed a fascinating casting secret: actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was his original choice for the iconic antagonist, Neelambari, a role later immortalized by Ramya Krishnan.

In a special video titled ‘The Return of Padayappa,’ the actor detailed the intense efforts to bring Aishwarya Rai on board, admitting they were willing to wait years for her commitment.

Rajinikanth’s Determined Pursuit

Rajinikanth revealed that when visualizing the character of Neelambari—the fiercely arrogant and power-hungry cousin of Padayappa—he immediately thought of Aishwarya Rai. He even revealed that the character was inspired by Nandini from Kalki’s novel, Ponniyin Selvan, a role Aishwarya would eventually play years later in the film adaptation.

“We wanted Aishwarya Rai to do the character of Neelambari. We tried to reach out to her after a lot of difficulties. If she had said yes to the movie, I was willing to wait for even 2–3 years because that character was like that. It was imperative for that role to click – but we heard that she was not interested.”

After Aishwarya Rai proved unavailable, the makers considered other top actresses like Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. Rajinikanth explained that the search was for a performer who could truly capture the character’s core essence. “We were looking for that power in the heroine’s eyes to pull off Neelambari. We wanted an arrogance in the character – and it was Ravikumar who suggested Ramya Krishnan’s name.”

Ramya Krishnan eventually stepped into the role, delivering a performance that is still considered one of the finest antagonist portrayals in Tamil cinema history. Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai eventually shared the screen years later in director Shankar’s sci-fi hit, Enthiran (2010).

Sequel Confirmed: Neelambari: Padayappa 2

Much to the delight of fans, Rajinikanth also used the special video to officially confirm that a sequel to the cult classic is in the works.

The superstar revealed the planned title would be Neelambari: Padayappa 2, a reference to Neelambari’s vow of revenge in her next birth, which forms the film’s climax. Rajinikanth confirmed that discussions regarding the story are currently underway.

Padayappa, which also starred Sivaji Ganesan and Soundarya, is set to re-release in theatres on December 12, coinciding with Rajinikanth’s birthday.