Filmmaker Ramana Chandrasekhar made heads turn in Tamil cinema in his directorial debut, Thirumalai, nearly two decades ago in 2003. The film showcased 'Thalapathy' Vijay undergo a big transformation from his boy-next-door looks and roles to turning out into an action star of the highest order, with the film going on to become a phenomenal box office success. Having since made films like the Dhanush-starrer Sullan and Aathi with Vijay once again, the Thirumalai director had been diagnosed with cancer a few years back, but made a complete recovery and has since been cured. With Vijay all set to celebrate his birthday on June 22, Ramana recently sat down with Galatta to talk about how Vijay had been one of the first people to be informed about his health crisis, while also revealing how the actor and his wife Sangeetha paid a surprise visit upon hearing the news of him being diagnosed with cancer.
During the interview, Ramana opened up on how Vijay and his wife offered to help him with his cancer treatment. The filmmaker said, "It's been almost eight years since I've seen him. Earlier, I would go meet him on his birthday. This was before me diagnosed with cancer. When he came to know about my health condition at the time, he along with his wife Sangeetha came to see me at my home. I had previously told my close circle of friends about the cancer diagnosis. When I called to speak to him, he asked me why I was doing mimicry in the voice of S. J. Suryah." He added, "It was pouring heavily on that day and there was water almost knee-length water in my area. Half an hour later, he called me asking which flat I was staying in and he and Sangeetha were entering the street in their car. They then comforted me and told me to pack up my things to go to London for treatment. There wasn't a second thought nor did he wait to inquire with anyone."
Watch Thirumalai director Ramana talk about Vijay in the video below:
