Veteran Kollywood actor Sathyaraj, who gained unprecedented popularity with his role as Kattappa in Baahubali, has been a familiar face in Tamil and Telugu cinema, earning recognition for his character artist roles. Recently, he addressed a hot topic from the past—his decision to reject a Rajinikanth film offer 18 years ago.
Back in 2007, director Shankar approached Sathyaraj to play the villain in the blockbuster Sivaji, starring superstar Rajinikanth. However, Sathyaraj turned down the role, sparking widespread speculation and discussion at the time. Many reports claimed that he refused because Rajinikanth’s larger-than-life screen presence would overshadow him, preventing him from gaining recognition. Eventually, the role went to actor Suman, who received acclaim for his performance.
After 18 years, Sathyaraj has now clarified the matter. He explained that he had previously worked with Rajinikanth in Mr. Bharath (1986), playing his father. Over the years, he had taken on smaller roles and was gradually getting opportunities as a lead actor. When the offer for Sivaji came, he chose to decline it because taking on a villain role while he was beginning to secure lead roles could limit future opportunities.
Sathyaraj emphasized, “All the media speculation about my refusal is completely untrue. The real reason was purely professional—I didn’t want to compromise my chance at lead roles at that stage of my career.”
Interestingly, fans noted that the explanation could have been given years ago, jokingly questioning why it took 18 years. After a gap of 38 years since working with Rajinikanth in Mr. Bharath, Sathyaraj finally shared the screen with the superstar again in Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. In this film, Sathyaraj played the role of Rajinikanth’s friend Rajasekhar and won praise for his performance.
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