Tracing the journey of Shankar’s political thriller ‘Nayak’.
Director Shankar Shanmugam’s 2001 political thriller ‘Nayak’ starring Anil Kapoor was inspired from his 1999 Tamil blockbuster ‘Mudhalvan’.
Shankar initially wanted Rajinikanth and later Kamal Haasan for the Tamil film but both were unavailable. He then cast Arjun Sarja in the lead role.
In 2001, the director adapted ‘Mudhalvan’ in Hindi as ‘Nayak’, naming the protagonist after Rajinikanth.
As per reports, Aamir Khan was the first choice, but they differed on vision, after which Shah Rukh Khan declined, citing a similar role before.
Anil Kapoor was eventually cast as a journalist who accepts a chief minister’s challenge to be in his position for a day.
Made on a ₹21 crore budget, ‘Nayak’ earned ₹18 crore but attained cult status through television screenings over the years.
The political thriller revolved around exposing corruption and navigating collusion within a day as CM.
While it wasn’t a blockbuster, ‘Nayak’ is remembered for its gripping storyline and performances under Shankar’s direction.
