In 2023, actor Shah Rukh Khan collaborated with director Atlee for the first time in the action-drama film Jawan. The film emerged as one of the biggest commercial successes of the year and attracted attention for its large-scale storytelling and ensemble cast. Apart from Khan in the lead role, the film featured Vijay Sethupathi as the primary antagonist, along with actors Nayanthara and Deepika Padukone in key roles. Vijay Sethupathi portrayed the character Kalee Gaikwad, a powerful and ruthless opponent whose conflict with Shah Rukh Khan’s character forms one of the central narrative elements of the film.
In a recent interview with Variety India, Vijay Sethupathi spoke about his decision to take on the role in Jawan. The actor explained that his choice was influenced mainly by two factors: the opportunity to work with Shah Rukh Khan and his admiration for Atlee’s filmmaking style. Sethupathi stated that he has long appreciated the way Atlee constructs scenes and builds emotional intensity in his films. According to him, the director demonstrates a strong understanding of pacing and knows how to develop moments within a story so that they engage audiences effectively. This approach, Sethupathi said, gave him confidence in the project.
The actor also emphasized that working with Shah Rukh Khan played a significant role in his decision. Sethupathi noted that collaborating with an established star such as Khan was a major reason for accepting the role. He explained that the combination of Atlee’s direction and Shah Rukh Khan’s presence in the film made the project appealing from the beginning. For Sethupathi, the chance to be part of a large-scale Hindi production alongside one of the industry’s most prominent actors was an opportunity he chose not to decline.
During the conversation, Vijay Sethupathi also shared an interesting behind-the-scenes detail about one of his memorable moments from the film. He revealed that a particular scene involving Shah Rukh Khan was not originally planned in the way audiences eventually saw it. Instead, the moment evolved during the dubbing process after filming had already been completed. The actor explained that the scene appears just before the film’s climax, when his character enters a jail carrying a baseball bat and confronts the protagonist.
In the sequence, Shah Rukh Khan portrays two characters a father and a son who appear in different parts of the narrative. Sethupathi’s character enters the jail while the father is imprisoned, and the tension builds as he prepares to confront both characters. According to the actor, when the scene was initially filmed, certain details that appear in the final version had not yet been included. The improvisation occurred later during post-production while the actors were recording dialogue for the film.
Sethupathi explained that during dubbing he experimented with the rhythm of the scene and played a song titled Kalyana Chayal Chaatham simply as a reference for timing while imagining how his character might move or behave in the moment. He said he felt like dancing to the rhythm and enjoyed the process of improvising the character’s energy. Later, Shah Rukh Khan suggested adding a playful element to the scene by introducing a line that compared the character to Santa Claus bringing a gift.
Following Khan’s suggestion, Sethupathi attempted to sing part of the song and adapt it to the character’s body language even though there was no visible lip movement during the scene. The actor also recalled that Shah Rukh Khan demonstrated how to deliver a Santa-like laugh, encouraging him to say “ho ho ho” in a particular tone. This improvisation was recorded during dubbing and later retained in the final version of the film. Sethupathi noted that the moment illustrated how additional creative ideas can sometimes emerge during post-production rather than during filming.
Reflecting on the experience, the actor described the collaboration as enjoyable and said the improvisation added an unexpected layer to the character. He also highlighted that such changes demonstrate the flexibility of filmmaking, where scenes can continue to evolve even after the camera stops rolling. The final version of the moment remained in the film, allowing audiences to see a piece of creativity that originated in the dubbing studio.
While Jawan remains one of Sethupathi’s notable appearances in Hindi cinema, the actor continues to work across multiple film industries in India, including Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi projects. He is currently promoting his upcoming series Muthu Alias Kaattaan, which is scheduled to release on the streaming platform JioHotstar on March 27. As his career continues to expand across languages and formats, Sethupathi remains known for his willingness to experiment with different roles and collaborate with filmmakers from diverse backgrounds.
