'Simbu was the first choice for my role in Soodhu Kavvum'

Actor Karunakaran opens up about his upcoming releases, Soodhu Kavvum 2 and Miss You, anecdotes from the sets of Soodhu Kavvum, his dream role, and more

- JAYABHUVANESHWARI B

ELEVEN years ago, a three-film-old Karunakaran got his claim to fame playing Arumai Pragasam, in Nalan Kumarasamy's debut directorial, Soodhu Kavvum. Today, he is the only recurring character in Soodhu Kavvum 2, helmed by SJ Arjun. However, the actor reveals that he wasn't the original choice for the character. Producer CV Kumar initially doubted his ability to pull off the pivotal character in the original film. "Honestly, even I wouldn't have cast myself in the role if I was the producer," Karunakaran admits candidly, adding, "Initially, CV Kumar sir had Simbu sir in mind for the role of Arumai Pragasam, while Nalan had planned to cast me in a different role. The entire lineup would have been reshuffled, with Bobby Simha likely playing the police character. Fortunately, I vented my disappointment to Karthik Subbaraj, who spoke to CV Kumar sir on my behalf, which finally convinced him."