Did you know Jayaram refused to be a part of Rajinikanth starrer ‘Muthu’?

It is no secret that the much-loved Muthu was one of the most popular and successful movies of Rajinikanth’s career. The film, released in 1995, emerged as a runaway hit not only in India but in the international market as well, opening new avenues for the ‘Superstar’. While everyone is aware of the phenomenal response to the KS Ravikumar-directed movie, not many know that Malayalam actor Jayaram was supposed to play a key role in the movie.

The Mollywood hero was offered the character played by Sharath Babu but refused to take it up for a a sweet reason. While speaking to Rediff, he said that he was not okay with a scene that required him to slap ‘Thalaivar’. The powerhouse actor added that he feared that Rajini fans would have ‘taken him apart’.

Muthu, a remake of the Malayalam movie Thenmavin Kombath, revolved around the bond between a wealthy man and his ‘servant’ and clicked with the janta due to its engaging presentation. The cast included Meena, Radha Ravi and Raghuvaran. It was later dubbed in Japanese as Muthu The Dancing Maharaja.

Coming back to Jayaram, he recently impressed fans with his performance in the well-received Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo that featured Allu Arjun and Pooja Hegde in the lead. The film, helmed by Trivikram Srinivas, did well at the box office despite facing competition from the Mahesh Babu starrer Sarileru Neekevvaru. He currently has Prabhas 20/Jaan and a film with Jr NTR in his kitty. He is also a part of the Kollywood biggie Ponniyin Selvan, directed by top filmmaker Mani Ratnam.

On the other hand, Rajinikanth was last seen in the Pongal/Sankranti release Darbar that opened on a note and clicked with a section of the audience. He will soon be turning his attention to Annaatthe, directed by Siva. The flick is slated to hit screens during Pongal 2021.