Vignesh Shivan on his first meeting with Nayanthara: ‘I was sure she will not take up Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’

After his debut venture Poda Podi turned out to be a middling affair, Vignesh Shivan had to struggle for a long while to land his second film. Finally, Dhanush agreed to bankroll the movie under his production banner Wunderbar Films, and he was the one who suggested Vignesh narrate the story to Nayanthara.

“I first thought this as just an opportunity to sit and talk to Nayanthara for one-and-half hours. I was sure that she wouldn’t take it up. I, initially, had Nazriya in my mind for the film. But I didn’t want to miss out on meeting Nayanthara. I took an auto with my co-director Senthil to whom I said, ‘Listen, you wait in the lobby. I will go narrate the story and meet her for one hour. I am sure she will not agree to the film. So, I will just go see her in close quarters and come,'” Vignesh said.

The filmmaker was right away impressed by the respect Nayanthara extended to him. “I have narrated scripts to many actors and many would just sit and be on their phone, listening half-heartedly. But Nayanthara asked me how long it will take and told her assistant not to disturb her during that time. She switched off her phone and told me ‘I am ready’. I got hopeful just by that gesture because I know she is going to ‘listen’ to my story, which itself is a big deal.”

The actor accepted the film immediately without delaying her decision, which turned out to be the start of Naanum Rowdy Thaan and the love story of Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan.

Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan are parents of two sons, Uyir Rudroneel N Sivan and Ulag Daiwik N Sivan.