When Mani Ratnam refused Rajinikanth's offer to be in Ponniyin Selvan

Ponniyin Selvan was a long-nurtured dream of Tamil cinema. Before director Mani Ratnam made that dream into a reality, the who's who of Tamil cinema tried to adapt the beloved Tamil novel for the big screen. And superstar Rajinikanth was no exception. 

While speaking during a promotional event for Ponniyin Selvan 1, Rajinikanth recalled how late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa thought he was the right fit to play the role of Vandiyadevan if and when the book was turned into a movie. He was so thrilled by Jayalalithaa's opinion he decided to read the book. He noted that until that point he didn't read the novel because he was terrified by its sheer size which ran into five volumes. 

Also Read: Ponniyin Selvan 2 review: Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan steal the show in Mani Ratnam's epic

However, once he started to read the book, Rajinikanth noted that he became a huge fan and fell in love with all the characters in it. So much so that he was ready to play any character in Ratnam's adaptation, irrespective of the character's screen time. 

Rajinikanth revealed that he offered to play the role of Periya Pazhuvettarayar, but Ratnam flatly refused. 

"I wanted to be in the movie and so I asked Mani sir if I can do Periya Pazhuvettarayar. And Mani sir asked, 'Why should I get scolded by your fans?' and he said no. But, I insisted that we can announce it as a 'special appearance' and let me do it. But, he didn't agree at all. He said he won't use me like this. No other person in Mani sir's place would have passed this opportunity, they would have asked me to do it. That's Mani sir, a real gentleman," Rajinikanth said. 

In Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan, Sarathkumar played Periya Pazhuvettarayar, the seasoned and old army commander. 

Ponniyin Selvan 2, which is the second and the final part, was released in cinemas on Friday to glowing reviews. The movie stars Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prakash Raj, Jayaram, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, R. Parthiban, Rahman, Lal and Vikram Prabhu.