By: Mohnish Singh
Vijay Sethupathi, who is regarded as one of the most versatile actors working in Tamil cinema, was set to enter Bollywood with Aamir Khan’s much-talked-about film Laal Singh Chaddha. But as ill-luck would have it, the versatile actor had to walk out of the high-profile film for some reason. Several media outlets reported that Khan was upset with Sethupathi as he failed to put off the required weight for his character in the film and hence, had to opt out.
Setting the record straight once and for all, Vijay Sethupathi recently explained in detail that what led to his exit from Laal Singh Chaddha, an official adaptation of Tom Hanks’ cult classic Forrest Gump (1994). The actor clarified that weight was not an issue.
“Aamir sir personally offered me the role. He then flew down to Tamil Nadu where I was shooting to narrate the script to me. For some reason, the director Advait Chandan could not come. Aamir sir came alone, narrated the script and stayed overnight in that town, and left the next morning. Such a big superstar and no airs. And he is a marvellous storyteller. The way he narrated the story was mesmerizing. I immediately said yes,” said Sethupathi.
Explaining why he could not take up the project even after giving his nod to it, the actor said, “Covid happened. It ransacked all our plans. After the lockdown, I had five Telugu projects in various stages of production to complete. I just could not accommodate Laal Singh Chaddha in my schedule.”
Buzz has it that Vijay Sethupathi will now make his Bollywood debut with acclaimed filmmaker Sriram Raghavan’s next directorial offering. Reportedly, the film also stars Katrina Kaif as the female lead. An official announcement is awaited though.
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Alia Bhatt at the Red Sea Film Festival where she spoke about the scale of Alpha Getty Images 
