The Tamil movie 'Dharma Durai,' starring Rajinikanth and Gautami, was a huge commercial success at the box office. The 1991 film was a remake of the Kannada movie 'Deva.' It was Malayalam's very own Madhu who played the role of Rajinikanth's father in Dharma Durai. There was a scene in the movie where the character played by Madhu slapped Rajini in the face, even though Rajinikanth was already a great star at the time. The fans of Rajinikanth accepted that scene only because that character was played by a veteran like Madhu.

Now, Madhu has revealed that it was legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan who recommended his name to the makers of the film. Madhu made this revelation during the 'Straight Line' program on Kaumudy TV.

"I did Dharma Durai as the makers came up with a special request that I should do the role. Sivaji Ganesan was supposed to do that role. However, he had to leave for Madras as he was unwell. The following words were said by them and not me. Fans of Rajinikanth may tolerate if Sivaji Ganesan slaps Rajinikanth on screen. However, it might not go down well with the fans if any other actors slaps him. It was Sivaji Ganesan who said that the role should be given to Madhu. They took me into that film to slap Rajini," Madhu said.