Udhayanidhi Stalin was the first choice for Pandiraj's Vamsam! HERE's how Deja Vu actor Arulnithi came on board

We know that National Award-winning director Pandiraj's Vamsam (2010) was a huge hit at the box office. The rural action drama starred Arulnithi and Sunainaa in the lead, marking the former's debut in films. But did you know that the film was initially offered to his cousin actor Udhayanidhi Stalin? During the audio launch of his long-delayed crime thriller, Kannai Nambathey, the Maamannan actor explained why he turned down the script.

Speaking on the occasion, he said, "Pandiraj sir had first approached me with the script for Vamsam. I realised that I had to work hard, roam around a village in a lungi and graze cows. I then told him that there is someone in my family, who would be perfect for the character. I sent Pandiraj sir to Arul. As a payback of sorts, Arul sent the director of Kannai Nambathey to me. I had watched the director's previous venture Iravukku Aayiram Kangal and had really liked the film. I had called up Arul after watching the film and had told him that the film was good. He then sent Maran to me and that's how Kannai Nambathey happened. The film has been in the making for almost five years and is finally gearing up to hit screens.

It is to be noted that Iravukku Aayiram Kangal had Arulnithi in the lead, along with Ajmal, Mahima Nambiar, Vidya Pradeep, Chaya Singh, Suja Varunee, Aadukalam Naren and John Vijay to name a few. The film marked Maran's maiden directorial venture, who is an erstwhile assistant to Raghava Lawrence and KV Anand.

His second venture Kannai Nambathey features Udhayanidhi Stalin, Prasanna, Aathmika, Bhumika Chawla, Srikanth, Sathish, Vasundhara, Subiksha, to name a few. While the music for the film is composed by Siddhu Kumar, cinematography is handled by Sridhar and Jalandhara Vasan. The film is a crime thriller, bankrolled by V N Ranjith Kumar under Lipi Cine Krafts banner, and is gearing up to hit screens on March 17.