Padayappa, starring Rajinikanth and Sivaji Ganesan in the lead roles, was released in theaters on April 10, 1999. As the superstar prepares to celebrate his 75th birthday on December 12, 2025, the makers have scheduled a re-release of the film.
Rajinikanth has now appeared in a video shared on his social media handle, promoting the re-release and recalling memorable moments from the film’s shoot. Interestingly, the actor has also confirmed that the movie will receive a sequel, focusing on Ramya Krishnan’s character, Neelambari.
Rajinikanth confirms Padayappa 2
In the video, Rajinikanth said, “In 50 years of my career, I had never seen women breaking gates to watch a film as they did for Padayappa. Now, when I see sequels like 2.0 and Jailer 2, I wonder, why not Padayappa 2? The title will be Neelambari: Padayappa 2. We are discussing the story, and if it comes out well, much like Padayappa, there will be a Neelambari. It will be exciting for the audience, and I’m working on it.”
Moreover, the superstar revealed that he not only wrote the story of the film but also produced it under his friends’ names. He explained that the movie is unavailable on any OTT platform because he did not want to sell it in that manner. Instead, he allowed only Sun Pictures to screen it in theaters, as the film deserved a theatrical release.
Rajinikanth recalls wanting to cast Aishwarya Rai Bachchan instead of Ramya Krishnan
In the same video, Rajinikanth shared that he initially wanted Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for the role of the prime antagonist. He said, “We wanted Aishwarya Rai to play 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 even 2-3 years because that character demanded it.”
He added, “That role needed to click, but we heard that she was not interested. Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, and several others were considered. But 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.”
Apart from the main cast, the film also features Soundarya, Lakshmi, Sithara, Radha Ravi, and others in pivotal roles.