Maharaja, headlined by Vijay Sethupathi, turned out to be a huge blockbuster at the ticket windows. This is the 50th film in the actor’s career, and the movie had a very good run in Telugu, too. Maharaja is smashing records in the digital space. But do you know that Vijay Sethupathi was not the first choice for this thriller?”

In an interview the film’s director Nithilan said, “Maharaja script was initially supposed to be done with Shanthnu Bhagyaraj. He loved the script and approached many producers too. But the producers didn’t come forward to support us. After Kurangu Bommai, the core point of Maharaja was modified and the subject was taken to Vijay Sethupathi.”

Shanthnu replied, “First of all, I’m truly glad that Nithilan could bring Maharaja to life, earning the recognition he deserves worldwide. It reassures me that I picked the right script back then. Secondly, it’s incredibly kind of him to give me credit even after 10 years. Neither my father nor I had anything to do with rejecting this script (in fact, my father didn’t even know Nithilan approached me). At that time, producers weren’t willing to take the risk, but today, it’s proven that content is the king.”