Gautham Menon has directed several hit films for the South Cinema, including which was Vaaranam Aayiram (2008), starring Suriya and Sameera Reddy. However, not many know that Reddy was not his first choice and the director wanted to cast Deepika Padukone. Reflecting on this, Menon in a recent interview shared some interesting anecdotes related to the film and revealed why Deepika turned down the offer.

Deepika Padukone rejected Vaaranam Aayiram?

During an interview, Menon revealed that initially, he wanted to cast Mohanlal or Nana Patekar for the role of Krishna (Suriya's father) as he didn't like the notion of actors playing a double role in the movie. But when they turned down the offer, Suriya convinced the director and he played both roles.

In the same segment, Menon went on to reveal that he was in talks with Deepika for the role of Meghana in the movie. However, due to her commitment to Om Shanti Om and the date clash, she opted out of the project, leading to Sameera Reddy bagging the role.

What do we know about Om Shanti Om?

Deepika, who made her acting debut in the 2006 Kannada film Aishwarya, gained popularity when she starred opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om. Her portrayal made her earn rave praise and went on to win several awards. Since then there has been no looking back for the actress and now she has become the nation's most popular personality.

Coming back to Vaaranam Aayiram, even though the initial casting didn't work out, the action drama became a commercial success. It also became the biggest hit in Suriya's career at that time. It won a number of awards, including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.