How Vijay’s ‘Kushi’ overcame distributor rejection to become a silver jubilee hit: An interesting story

Recalling the film's origins, Rathnam said he initially met director S.J. Suryah in Mumbai to discuss a project featuring Prabhu Deva. However, the proposed film was postponed because music composer A.R. Rahman's dates were unavailable. Suryah subsequently narrated the story of Kushi, which immediately impressed Rathnam.

The producer approached Vijay's father, filmmaker S.A. Chandrashekhar, to arrange a narration. At the time, Vijay was reportedly going through a difficult phase following a series of box-office disappointments. Interestingly, Vijay remained completely expressionless throughout the narration, leaving Rathnam and Suryah uncertain about his response. However, the actor eventually agreed to the film and asked them to discuss the arrangements with his father. Action sequences were subsequently incorporated at Vijay's request.

The film encountered another major challenge during its first preview screening at Chennai's Udhayam Theatre. Technical problems resulted in the film being screened with mono sound instead of the intended audio experience. The preview audience reportedly found the film average, while distributors were reluctant to acquire its theatrical rights.

Undeterred by the lukewarm response, Rathnam decided to release the film himself. His confidence was vindicated during the first-day morning show when audiences erupted in applause during the memorable love-letter sequence featuring Vijay and Jyothika. Witnessing the enthusiastic response, Rathnam immediately told Suryah that the film would become a success.

The producer also recalled making a crucial editing decision after the film's release. He felt that the childhood sequences were unnecessarily lengthy, delaying Jyothika's introduction. With Suryah's approval, approximately 500 feet of film was trimmed, bringing the popular song Megam Karukuthu and the heroine's introduction earlier into the narrative.

The changes reportedly improved the film's pacing and audience engagement. What initially appeared to be a risky theatrical release eventually emerged as a major commercial success, completing a silver jubilee run in theatres.

Directed by S.J. Suryah, Kushi became one of Vijay's defining romantic entertainers and remains fondly remembered for its music, performances and the chemistry between its lead actors.

Rathnam's recollections offer an interesting reminder that even films which eventually achieve cult status can face considerable uncertainty before finding acceptance among audiences.