All those who know me and have seen my earlier films will not doubt that. I had written the script much earlier and the shooting had already started. If I had done the script after the government made the decision to produce the film, then you can question my neutrality.

Another thing is, if the neutrality of the film was in any doubt, there would not have been this kind of excitement about it.

How difficult was it for you to choose an actor to play Periyar?

It was very difficult. I do not know how many actors would come forward to do this role. The main difficulty was many people who live now have seen and known Periyar, so I have to select a person who looked like Periyar.

I also felt the face should be acceptable to the people of Tamil Nadu.

Satyaraj, an ardent follower of Periyar had expressed his desire to do the role at various forums. After taking pictures of him in the Periyar attire, I felt he looked very much like Periyar. I took Khushboo also because she resembled Maniamma.

Also Read: Prabhas, Ileana all set to sizzle in Munna

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