It was Kamal Haasan who recommended Rajinikanth for the film. Sridhar initially wanted to do this film with different actors; however his assistants P. Vasu and Santhana Bharathi wanted Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, and though Sridhar was initially against their decision, he later agreed to cast them.
Kamal Haasan was the one who proposed Rajinikanth for the movie. Initially, Sridhar had planned to work with different actors; but his assistants P. Vasu and Santhana Bharathi were keen on casting Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, and eventually Sridhar relented.