Vishal's portrayal in the 2005 Tamil action drama Sandakozhi cemented his status as a mass action hero in Tamil cinema. However, the role was initially envisioned for another prominent South Indian star: Vijay.
Director N. Linguswamy, who also wrote the story and screenplay, initially had Vijay in mind for the lead role in Sandakozhi. According to Vishal, Linguswamy was a close friend of his father and had worked as an assistant director with him. When Vishal heard about the story, he immediately approached Linguswamy to express his interest in the project.
However, Linguswamy was hesitant to cast Vishal, who at the time was not yet a established star. Linguswamy felt the story was more suited for a "mass hero" like Vijay. Vishal had only one film, Chellame, under his belt at the time.
Undeterred, Vishal convinced Linguswamy to watch Chellame and then make a decision. He was so eager to secure the role that he was willing to wait up to two years for the opportunity to star in Sandakozhi. Even Vishal's family questioned his decision to focus solely on this project, potentially missing out on other roles. However, Vishal believed that Sandakozhi was worth the wait, equating it to the value of ten films.
After watching Chellame, Linguswamy was still unsure but eventually agreed to cast Vishal in Sandakozhi. The film marked Vishal's second project. He dedicated himself to the role, undertaking courses in acting and dancing to prepare. A significant fight scene between Vishal and Lal was filmed over seven days in Dindigul. The songs were shot in various locations, including Australia, New Zealand, and Chennai. An introductory song for Rajkiran was filmed in Theni.
Sandakozhi was released on December 16, 2005, and became a major commercial success, running for over 210 days in theaters. The film achieved cult status and was later dubbed in Telugu as Pandem Kodi, which also proved successful. In 2018, a sequel, Sandakozhi 2, was released, with Vishal reprising his role. However, the sequel did not reach the same level of success as the original.
