Vijay Was First Choice for ‘Karuppu’, Says RJ Balaji; Project Later Went to Suriya

The Tamil film Karuppu, starring Suriya and Trisha Krishnan, has been receiving strong audience response since its release on May 15, 2026, and has already crossed impressive box office figures worldwide. However, director RJ Balaji has now revealed an interesting behind-the-scenes detail — Thalapathy Vijay was originally considered for the lead role.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Balaji shared that the film was initially narrated to Vijay, who was expected to take on the project before his full transition into politics and other commitments.

“I first narrated this film to Vijay sir. It was supposed to be one of his final films before his full political entry. We had multiple meetings, and he heard the script. Since it was a significant project for him at that stage, he had several factors to consider,” Balaji said.

The director added that Vijay also had another major commitment at the time, which influenced his decision-making process. “He had another option with H. Vinoth’s film. He later asked for time and eventually informed me of his decision, which I completely respected,” he explained.

Balaji further noted that although Vijay chose not to move forward with the project, his engagement with the script was highly constructive. “He asked very insightful questions that actually helped improve the script. I thanked him in the opening credits for that reason,” he said.

After Vijay stepped away from the project, Balaji narrated the script to Suriya, who eventually came on board and led the film to completion.

“Even though it didn’t work out with Vijay sir, the process helped shape the film. That’s how Karuppu eventually became a Suriya film,” the director added.

About ‘Karuppu’

Alongside Suriya and Trisha Krishnan, the film features a strong ensemble cast including Indrans, Natty Subramaniam, Swasika, Sshivada, and Anagha Maaya Ravi in key roles. The film has performed strongly at the global box office, earning approximately ₹258 crore worldwide so far.