▁ ▁Development ▁ ▁After ▁Vik ram ▁had ▁created ▁an ▁identity ▁for ▁himself ▁by ▁port ray ing ▁performance ▁orient ed ▁off be at ▁roles , ▁he ▁began ▁altern ating ▁between ▁commercial ▁cinema ▁and ▁ar th ouse ▁films . ▁After ▁playing ▁heavy ▁roles ▁in ▁Ar ul ▁and ▁An ni yan , ▁Vik ram ▁wanted ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁light ▁heart ed ▁comedy ▁film . ▁Upon ▁seeing ▁the ▁Mal ay am lam ▁film ▁Thom man um ▁Mak kal um ▁st arring ▁M amm oot ty , ▁Vik ram ▁approached ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁Sh af i ▁and ▁expressed ▁interest ▁in ▁rem aking ▁it ▁in ▁T amil . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁titled ▁Maj aa ▁and ▁the ▁film ▁shooting ▁began . ▁During ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁Maj aa , ▁Vik ram ▁met ▁with ▁actor ▁D ile ep ▁who ▁was ▁then ▁working ▁on ▁his ▁film ▁Ch anth up ott u . ▁Ch anth up ott u ▁had ▁D ile ep ▁playing ▁an ▁eff em inate ▁character . ▁When ▁it ▁was ▁released , ▁it ▁was ▁commer cially ▁successful ▁and ▁brought ▁critical ▁acc laim ▁for ▁D ile ep ' s ▁port ray al . ▁ ▁Vik ram , ▁who ▁saw ▁the ▁movie , ▁was ▁im pressed ▁and ▁wanted ▁to ▁re make ▁it ▁in ▁T amil . ▁Vik ram ▁approached ▁producer ▁Moh an ▁N atar aj an ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁re make ▁rights ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁The ▁re make ▁was ▁tent atively ▁titled ▁B he ema a . ▁When ▁his ▁film ▁Maj aa ▁hit ▁the ▁screens , ▁it ▁had ▁only ▁average ▁success