Mumbai, Jan. 31 -- Filmmaker Mani Ratnam initially envisioned Alai Payuthey with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in the lead roles. SRK had even agreed to be a part of it, but the story was incomplete. Ratnam struggled to finalize the climax, which led him to put the project on hold. Instead, he moved on to Dil Se, where he collaborated with SRK and Manisha Koirala.

How 'Dil Se' Led to 'Alai Payuthey'

While working on Dil Se, Ratnam finally cracked the missing element of Alai Payuthey. However, by then, SRK and Kajol had moved on to other projects. With his vision now complete, Ratnam decided to go ahead with the film, casting R. Madhavan and Shalini in the lead roles. The film went on to become a beloved Tamil classic, capturing the complexit...