Actor Kavin liked the one line of Blue Star and was initial choice to play the lead, director Jayakumar reveals

The year 2024 kicked off with its first success for Tamil cinema in the form of the cricket-based drama Blue Star. The film, starring Ashok Selvan and Shanthanu Bhagyaraj in the lead roles, was released during the Republic Day weekend and saw positive reception for the lead performances.

While the cast has been receiving laurels for his performance as a cricketer, in a latest interview, the director, S Jayakumar, revealed that the story of Blue Star was initially for actor Kavin. However, due to certain situations, the actor could not take on the role.

Kavin was the first choice for Blue Star:

Director Jayakumar, who had earlier assisted Ranjith in Kaala (2018), said in an interview with Cinema Vikatan, “I had initially approached actor Kavin for Ranjith’s character. I had then shared a one-liner of the script and Kavin also liked it and wanted to do it. But he got busy later on.” The director also said that the team had also approached actor Harish Kalyan, who also loved the script for its details but couldn’t accommodate his dates for the film. The director later revealed that the script reached Keerthi Pandian, and eventually Ashok Selvan and Shanthanu Bhagyaraj played the leads.

Also read: Blue Star director Jayakumar Interview | Ashok Selvan’s character is based on my brother who plays cricket 

Meanwhile, Kavin is currently working on the upcoming film Star, directed by Elan. The film is currently in the production phase. On the other hand, Harish Kalyan will be seen in Lubber Pandhu, a cricket-based film, along with Attakathi Dinesh.

Success of Blue Star:

Presented by Pa Ranjith, Blue Star is a period drama set against the backdrop of Arakkonam. The film follows two cricketing rivals, with undertones of casteism and classism. The film stars Ashok Selvan as Ranjith, a Dalit Christian and Shanthanu as Rajesh, a caste Hindu, and shows how they turn from foes to friends to battle oppression that has been placed on them. Others in the cast include Prithvi, Keerthi Pandian, Ilango Kumaravel, Lizzie Antony and others.

Read also: Blue Star and Lal Salaam show that cricket gives a much-needed adrenaline rush to Tamil films 

The film has been receiving positive reviews since its release. “Ashok Selvan and Shanthanu Bhagyaraj make an engaging presence in a film that takes a simple storytelling method to talk about politics involved in cricket,” reads OTTplay review of the film.

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