 Pandiyan was selling bangles in Madurai, India when he was spotted by director P. Bharathiraja who offered him the lead role in his film "Mann Vasanai".Asha Kelunni Nair was spotted by Bharathiraja, who was searching for a new heroine for the same film, and went on to play the female lead of the film, making her acting debut.She was given the screen name Revathi.