Following the success of his latest film, Dude, veteran actor Sarathkumar has expressed his desire to collaborate with Bollywood star Deepika Padukone. At a recent press meet celebrating Dude's impressive box office performance, Sarathkumar playfully requested the film's producers, Mythri Movie Makers, to consider casting him alongside Padukone in their next venture.
Dude, featuring Pradeep Ranganathan and Mamitha Baiju in leading roles, has garnered significant attention, earning over ₹95 crore worldwide within its first five days of release. Sarathkumar plays a pivotal character in the film, alongside Pradeep Ranganathan and Mamitha Baiju.
During the Dude success meet, Sarathkumar acknowledged the warm reception he received from Pradeep Ranganathan's fanbase. "Pradeep's fans also started liking me. They call me dude. So I became a dude too," he remarked. Capitalizing on this newfound popularity, the actor-politician lightheartedly suggested a potential on-screen pairing with Deepika Padukone. "If Naveen sir or Ravi sir think of making Deepika Padukone my heroine in the next film and putting on a duet, I am ready to do it," he stated.
Sarathkumar also referenced his role as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's husband in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan films. "I have even played Aishwarya Rai's husband. Don't feel jealous about it," he quipped, adding, "It's only on occasions like this that you can ask". He further encouraged the producers to seek input from Dude's music director, Sai Abhyankkar, and lead actor, Pradeep Ranganathan, in realizing this potential collaboration.
This isn't the first time Sarathkumar has voiced his admiration for Deepika Padukone. In a 2023 interview with Sun Music, when asked about his preferred co-star for a love story, he immediately named Padukone. He expressed his belief that if he could portray an aging man seeking revenge, he could certainly play a man in love at any age.
Dude features Sarathkumar as Athiyamaan Azhagappan, a politician and the father of Kural (Mamitha Baiju) as well as the maternal uncle to Agan (Pradeep Ranganathan). The romantic comedy has received mixed reviews, but Sarathkumar's performance has been particularly praised as a departure from his previous roles.
Pradeep Ranganathan is on a successful streak with Dude, nearing his third consecutive ₹100 crore film. The film is directed by Keerthiswaran and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, also starring Hrdu Haroon, Sathya, Rohini, and Aishwarya Sharma.
Deepika Padukone, who recently welcomed her daughter Dua with husband Ranveer Singh in September 2024, has not yet responded to Sarathkumar's expression of interest.
