Arjun Sarja Reveals How Leo Co Star Vijay Felt The First Time He Sat In The Cm Chair Oke Okkadu Mudhalvan Meme

Actor Arjun Sarja was recently in Hyderabad to promote his upcoming Tamil-Telugu film Blast Zone. Talking to the press about his Leo co-star and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, the actor revealed how their conversation went. He also claimed that the actor-politician had seen all the memes based on his 1999 hit film Mudhalvan. (Also Read: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay permits theatres to run 5 shows per day for new films in 1st week; fans thrilled for Jana Nayagan)

Shankar, the director of Mudhalvan, originally pitched the script to Vijay before the iconic role went to Arjun. The actor-politician was only in his early 20s at the time and had turned down the offer. The film became a massive hit when it was released in 1999, and after Vijay became the TN CM, numerous memes emerged about how, despite missing out on the role, he became the ‘real life Mudhalvan’.

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When asked about it at the event, Arjun smiled and said, “I met him recently when he became the CM. He told me he saw memes. When he first saw the CM seat, he said he remembered my Oke Okkadu/Mudhalvan movie. And I’m very proud that someone from the film industry, an actor, someone we worked with, is a chief minister today. It’s such a big achievement to become the chief minister for the first time he contested.”

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Arjun and Vijay played brothers in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s 2023 hit Leo. After meeting Vijay last week, Arjun posted pictures and wrote on Instagram, “With our dearest Mudhalvan, C. Joseph Vijay Avl. Wishing him strength, good health and guidance as he continues to shoulder great responsibility with grace.”

Arjun, who played a journalist turned chief minister for only a day in Mudhalvan, was also asked if he had plans on entering politics. He joked, “I don’t think you want me to be happy.” However, he explained further, adding, “To do something like that, you need to have something on the inside. I don’t have that. If you just want to do good, you can do it otherwise too. Politics is a whole different ball game now. You need money, but I don’t have that much.”

When it was pointed out that Vijay became the CM of TN without spending money, he agreed, candidly adding, “Aina antha peru ledu kada naku ippudu. (I no longer have the kind of fame he does now).” Mudhalvan tells the story of a reporter who accepts a challenge from a chief minister to rule the state for a day. He rapidly goes about weeding out corruption and faces the consequences. The film was also reportedly offered to Rajinikanth before it went to Vijay and eventually to Arjun.

Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good film that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that. Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From film announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all. A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories.Read More