‘For me, self-respect comes first’: Sona Heiden reveals she turned down 16 film opportunities with Vadivelu after 'Kuselan'

Notable Tamil actress Sona Heiden has once again sparked debate after speaking strongly about comedian Vadivelu in a recent interview. The actress revealed that she deliberately avoided acting with Vadivelu after their film 'Kuselan,' even though she received several offers to share screen space with him.

Sona mentioned that she felt that way because of her self-respect and that she simply did not pay attention to the offers, even if they would have been profitable.

Sona rejected 16 films with Vadivelu

According to Filmibeat, Sona said she was approached to act alongside Vadivelu in as many as 16 films after the success of Kuselan. The actress said, "At one point, I felt like giving up acting altogether. The situation in this industry is such that you cannot trust anyone.

I faced numerous difficulties because of various people. I simply could not endure it anymore; that is why I distanced myself from the industry.""I received over 16 offers specifically to act alongside Vadivelu, but I rejected them all. He is extremely difficult to tolerate; one simply cannot handle him. There are certain things I cannot discuss publicly, but for me, self-respect comes first," Sona clarified.

Vadivelu’s image among co-actors

Vadivelu, who was at one time riding high on his career in Tamil movies, was also very well-known for his comic roles.

But with his political foray, his career took a setback for a couple of years, leading to his blacklisting in the film industry. Though he bounced back into films subsequently, he is only occasionally seen in character/comedy roles in recent times. Even though audiences love his comedic talent, a few actors who have appeared with him have offered less flattering comments on their experience working with him.

Sona’s career journey and past struggles

Sona began her film career appearing in ‘Poovellam Un Vaasam’ opposite

Ajith Kumar

, and continues acting in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films. Apart from glamorous roles, she was famous for comic roles, which she did for many comic actors, including Vadivelu. She appeared alongside the comedian Vadivelu as his wife in 'Kuselan,' gaining significant recognition from the film. Following the film, she took a brief break and produced a film by herself titled ‘Animozhi’. After the film went awry, she returned to acting in films and television serials.

In earlier interviews, Sona also spoke about the struggles she faced when entering the film industry, including confusion about navigating opportunities and dealing with issues such as casting couch pressures.