Director Selva Bharathy Reveals It Was Not Rambha But A Body Double In The Song Vannanilavae

Selva Bharathy, renowned as one of the finest directors in Tamil cinema, gained widespread recognition with his debut film Ninaithen Vandhai, featuring the talented Thalapathy Vijay in the lead role. The romantic drama, released in 1998, marked one of Vijay’s earlier films before attaining the immense popularity and craze he enjoys today. The movie, accompanied by a highly successful soundtrack, notably featured the enchanting song Vannanilavae, sung by Hariharan, which remains a favourite among fans.

Recently, director Selva Bharathy shared an intriguing and lesser-known anecdote related to the shooting of this particular song. In Vannanilavae, Vijay’s character envisions his yet-to-be-revealed lover in various dreamlike settings. Notably, in most of the song, the face of actress Rambha, who played a pivotal role, is scarcely visible, as it is a dream sequence. The director, in a conversation with a YouTube channel, unveiled the reason behind this – the use of a body double for Rambha.

Selva Bharathy originally planned to shoot the song Vannanilavae after completing the majority of the film’s shooting. However, a dispute arose with Rambha towards the end of the shoot, leading her to decline further dates for the novice director. Instead, she commenced shooting for a Telugu film. Consequently, Selva Bharathy decided to employ a body double for the song. Many times, throughout the song, the body double is strategically positioned from behind or has her face obscured. The director justified this creative choice by suggesting that, within the context of the film, Vijay’s character had not yet met his dream girl and was unaware of her appearance.

Despite the behind-the-scenes challenges, Vannanilavae became a veritable love anthem for the Tamil diaspora upon its release in 1998. The film itself proved to be a major success, significantly propelling Vijay’s career and contributing to Rambha’s prominence in the industry. The triumph of Ninaithen Vandhai prompted filmmakers to cast Rambha alongside Vijay in subsequent projects like Endrendrum Kadhal and Minsara Kanna.