Vijay Sethupathi’s 2019 film, ‘Super Deluxe’, also featuring Fahadh Faasil, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Ramya Krishnan in key roles, garnered widespread acclaim for its innovative storytelling. Sethupathi, who portrayed the groundbreaking role of a transgender woman in the film, expressed his disappointment that ‘Super Deluxe’ missed the opportunity to be India’s official entry to the Oscars in 2019. Instead, the honor went to Ranveer Singh-starrer ‘Gully Boy’.
In response to a fan expressing disappointment over ‘Super Deluxe’ not being India’s official entry for the 2019 Academy Awards, Sethupathi acknowledged being heartbroken. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, he shared, “It was heartbreaking for us also. Politics, something happened. It was not because I starred in the film. Even if I was not in that film, I wanted that film to go there. Something happened in between and I don’t want to talk about it. It’s unnecessary.”
Despite its three-hour runtime, ‘Super Deluxe’ received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. Directed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja, the film intricately weaved together four groups of individuals facing unexpected predicaments, exploring themes of nostalgia, science-fiction and political incidents.
Earlier, Sethupathi had shared how adamant he was to do ‘Super Deluxe’ after hearing its script that he even agreed to do the part without being paid a single penny. In an old interview with Film Companion, Vijay Sethupathi opened up about being touched by the script and said, “When he (Kumararaja) narrated the script, I liked it so much. The way it was written was so awesome. In one scene, my kid asks me why I was not born as a female. That scene was written so well that I decided that I don’t want to miss this film. I begged him (the director), told him that you don’t need to pay me any money. On the first day, I think it took 50-60 takes. Then finally, I realised the female inside me. I got confidence.”
