Normally, heroines would give an arm and leg to work with Mani Ratnam. But for his new film 'Kadal', Mani is having a tough time.
Samantha was cast after a long search which saw Akshara Haasan turn down Mani and now Samantha has also opted out of the film as there was an issue with dates. Now Radha's daughter, Thulasi has been cast opposite Karthik's son, Gautham in a bid to rekindle the magic their parents brought to the screen with Alaigal Oivathillai.

Arjun plays a pivotal role in the film and Mani is keen that Nayanthara plays his love interest. He has already approached her but Nayan is taking her time to reply as she is busy with many big projects. Mani we hear is determined to wait and get her to sign on the dotted line as no one can do the role better than her since it is tailormade for the actress.