 A set-back came in the form of his fourth collaboration with Rajesh in "All in All Azhagu Raja" which became a surprise failure, and a critic wrote "though he does have his moments, the comedy seems to be forced, many of the scenes greatly exaggerated, and his portrayal of Kareena Chopra is a disaster".In 2014, he appeared in the leading role in Srinath's "Vallavanukku Pullum Aayudham", a remake of the 2010 Telugu film "Maryada Ramanna".In preparation for the film, Santhanam lost weight, sported a different look and attended dance classes as well as reducing his work by being more selective on accepting other scripts.