3 min readNew DelhiJun 2, 2026 10:25 PM IST
Suriya and Trisha Krishnan’s Karuppu has been performing well at the box office, crossing the Rs 300 crore mark worldwide. A few days after the film’s release, director RJ Balaji revealed that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor Vijay was originally the first choice for the lead role. However, Vijay announced his retirement from acting to focus on politics. Now, Balaji has shared glimpses from his meeting with Vijay and described the experience as “unreal.”
Taking to his X handle, the director dropped a couple of photos with Vijay. Along with the images, he wrote, “With the man who started it all for #Karuppu !!! Wow…! Feels unreal to meet him now as the honourable Chief Minister of Tamil nadu !!! Same love, warmth, kindness and calmness…!!! Thank you for everything dearest Vijay sir.”
With the man who started it all for #Karuppu !!! ❤️❤️❤️
Wow…! Feels unreal to meet him now as the honourable Chief Minister of Tamil nadu !!!🔥🔥🔥
Same love, warmth, kindness and calmness…!!! 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for everything dearest Vijay sir ❤️🤗🧿 pic.twitter.com/sd6qqdNUGH— RJ Balaji (@RJ_Balaji) June 2, 2026
‘Karuppu was supposed to be Vijay’s last film’
Earlier, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, RJ Balaji shared that Karuppu was originally written for actor-turned-politician Vijay. He said, “I narrated this film first to Vijay sir. This was supposed to be his last film (before his full-fledged political entry). We had two or three meetings, and he heard the script. Since it was supposed to be his last film, there were a lot of things that he had to consider. He had another option with H Vinoth (director of Jana Nayagan, which eventually happened). He then asked me if he could inform me in a week. He then called me and mentioned certain reasons (to turn down the project), which I felt were justified.”
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“I replied, ‘Sir, I absolutely respect your decision.’ By then, I had narrated two scripts to him. I had previously narrated another film. Both times, I narrated the subjects to him because he asked me if I had something for him. I felt that showed his great respect for my work and, probably, my creativity,” the director-actor added.
After RJ Balaji and Vijay couldn’t collaborate, Dream Warrior Pictures, which produced Karuppu, approached him to ask if he could narrate the same story to Suriya. “That’s how it became a Suriya film eventually. Despite his (Vijay’s) not doing the film, the fact that he heard the subject landed me the opportunity to make this film. That’s why I thanked him in the opening credits. After listening to my narration, he asked me the right questions, and those questions made my script better,” he shared.
Vijay was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu last month. His final film as an actor, Jana Nayagan, is yet to see the light of day due to certification issues.
About Karuppu
Karuppu narrates the story of a guardian deity Vettai Karuppu, who pretends to be a lawyer to fight corruption. Besides Suriya, the film also features Trisha Krishnan, RJ Balaji, Indrans, Anagha Maya Ravi, and Natty Subramaniam.
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