Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan’s romantic drama ’96’, which was originally released in 2018, continues to find an audience years after its debut. The film has returned to theatres for the third time, prompting renewed conversations about its enduring appeal. In a recent interview, director C Prem Kumar reflected on the response to the film and clarified that Trisha was always his first choice to play Jaanu, despite reports that Jyotika had initially been approached for the role.
C Prem Kumar on the enduring love for ’96’
Speaking to NDTV, Prem Kumar said he continues to be surprised by the affection audiences show the film each time he marks its anniversary on social media.“It is overwhelming. Every year, I put up a poster marking the film’s anniversary, whether it is two years, three years or eight years of 96. The response I receive every time is mind-blowing. It’s unimaginable for a film to receive so much love, even though it is just a movie. It is beyond my comprehension,” he said.The director also recalled writing ’96’ during the Chennai floods in December 2015. Reflecting on his approach to storytelling, he said he believes that certain stories find their way to him rather than being deliberately chosen by him.“I strongly believe, and I am not saying this out of humility, that the story chooses me. It is not me who chooses the story. That is how 96 happened, and that is how the film with Fahadh Faasil happened as well,” he said.Prem Kumar further revealed that he has completed a script based on an idea he first had in 2002 and plans to begin shooting for the project next.
Trisha was always the first choice for Jaanu in ’96’
Prem Kumar also addressed reports suggesting that Jyotika was initially approached to play Jaanu in ’96’. The filmmaker clarified that Trisha was his preferred choice from the beginning, although scheduling conflicts briefly complicated the casting process.“Without a doubt, my first choice was Trisha,” he said.Explaining how the situation was resolved, Prem Kumar said Trisha was committed to several projects at the time, while he already had Vijay Sethupathi’s dates. This led to pressure from various quarters to consider another actor for the role.“There were some date issues as she was working in several films and since I had Vijay Sethupathi’s dates, there was pressure from various sides to consider someone else. Then Trisha’s schedule was rearranged, and I was able to get her dates to match Sethu’s. Everything eventually fell into place. I never thought I would direct ‘96’ when I was writing it. I simply wanted to write a script and give it to a director who could make the film,” he added.
C Prem Kumar visualises actors while writing scripts
The director also spoke about how he imagines particular actors while developing characters and writing screenplays. According to Prem Kumar, he had Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha in mind while writing ’96’.He followed a similar approach while writing ‘Meiyazhagan’, imagining Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan in certain roles. His comments underline the importance of casting in his creative process, even as he maintains that a story’s journey can take unexpected turns.