‘It’s a flop here’: Vijay was warned against doing Kaavalan, but the remake saved his career

Despite being one of India's biggest superstars, Vijay faced a four-year slump in his career marked by box-office underperformance. It was a romantic comedy remake of a Malayalam film, Kaavalan (2011), that reestablished Vijay's status in the industry. Initially, the director, Siddique, planned the film as a Tamil original, but the producer dismissed the story as unsuitable for a Vijay film.

Undeterred, Siddique proceeded with the Malayalam version, Bodyguard (2010). Actor Vijay insisted on the Tamil remake and was warned against it, receiving calls from people suggesting he should avoid doing it. Vijay persisted, and when the Malayalam film received critical acclaim, he urged the director to make the Tamil version. The Hindi remake, Bodyguard (2011), starring Salman Khan, also became a massive success.