If I come on board, I must bring something special to the project. Else, there is no point to it.
Sources close to both actors acknowledged the two being invited to Modi's swearing-in scheduled on Thursday, but did not divulge if the veterans would participate.
Rajinikanth's visible electoral strength is his constant mouthing of the term, 'aanmiga arasiyal', or 'spiritual politics', without he having to explain what it is. By implication, it is all that what Dravidian politics is not about. It may imply anti-corruption, being against Periyar's forgotten anti-god, anti-Brahmin dictum, but also ends up covering 'Tamil pride', which begins with Tamil language where, as a Maratha from Karnataka, he has more to defend himself. However, in the contemporary national context, aanmiga arasiyal is seen as a front for Rajini to market his brand of 'soft Hindutva' but identified even more with the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in political terms, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Time and again sequels have done well at the box office, as is apparent with the blockbuster success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, the biggest Bollywood grosser of 2022 so far.
Greater Chennai Corporation said the actor paid Rs 6,56,000 towards property tax for his marriage hall at Kodambakkam. The Rs 6 lakh plus tax for 2020-21 first half year includes 'late pay penalty' of Rs 9,386, the civic body said, adding it was paid by way of a cheque.
'Rajinikanth's movies create trends, not follow them.'
Looking back at Rajinikanth's film journey.
The new entrants in Tamil Nadu politics, actor-turned-politicians Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, have decided to stay away from the elections, reports T E Narasimhan.
Having kick-started their preparations for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, Delhi Capitals is looking to make a fresh start for the final phase of the season, which is scheduled to begin from September 19 in UAE.
The very timing of the Phalke Award on Rajini now, days ahead of Tamil Nadu voting in the assembly election, may have taken away the seriousness and credibility attaching to the Centre's decision, making it sound every bit political, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
If the Congress lost in Tamil Nadu in 1967, never to return, or the DMK and the AIADMK have kept their place in power and electoral politics since then, it owes not to their love or hatred for gods or for one religion over another. Instead, they had always been linked to performance and incumbency/anti-incumbency factors. There may be something in such constructs for Rajini's strategic team to consider, especially if the superstar is to enter direct politics by around this time next year. But then, they would need to brush up their homework more than at present, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
'On the first day of a Rajnikanth movie, there is usually a lot of noise in theatres as fans dance and rejoice with every dialogue and action.' 'But in this movie, the fans were quiet. They did not find anything to shout about.'
Kannada actress Rukmini Vijayakumar played superstar Rajinikanth's sister in Kochadaiyaan.
A catchy title is always key to hold audience attention and when it is unique and distinctive, it is even better.
While EC Secretary General Umesh Sinha would be visiting Tamil Nadu next week, Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain would be in West Bengal in the coming days, sources said.
There is action, drama, emotion, comedy -- everything in equal measure and lots of stylish sequences featuring Rajinikanth. Clearly, Darbar is a visual treat for fans, says Divya Nair.
It means more tickets sold and therefore more revenues and hastens the recovery of the devastated-by-the-pandemic film business.
South actors go to vote in Tamil Nadu.
The hits and misses of the week.
'When I contracted COVID and was extremely unwell, I almost thought I was not going to make it.' 'But this man (Karan Johar) was like family for us in Bombay. He would send doctors for me, made sure my medication was done correctly and made sure I came out of COVID.'
Amre expressed that the team is looking to get used to the conditions and the wickets in the UAE.
Rajinikanth and Kamalahaasan's new generation movies of the twenty-first century may make bigger money than their earlier films but leave behind a lesser impact. That would make the difference between their success and failure as politicians, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Congress MP from Sivaganga also slammed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance and said the people of Tamil Nadu do not want a government which has any "stain, scent or shadow" of the BJP as its 'Hindi-Hindutva' agenda "irritates" them.
He was a nine-time MLA, one-time Lok Sabha member and former finance minister of Tamil Nadu and a close friend of former Chief Minister late Karunanidhi.
Truth be acknowledged, Rajinikanth is not known for wanting to leave his comfort zone to take the politico-electoral plunge, even if it meant his becoming the chief minister of a state that has conferred Tamil cinema's superstardom on him over the past 25 years. Today, his fans belong to the younger generation all right, but their numbers are far fewer than their counterparts in the '90s. They are not devoid of personal ambitions and agendas, unlike what Rajinikanh wants them to be, if he and they were to enter politics, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
The celebration plans have been cancelled due to the catastrophic floods in Chennai.
'Kaala's sin is not that it is presented as a mouthpiece for its director Pa Ranjith's political viewpoints, but that it makes a travesty of them.' 'Ranjith turns Marx into merchandise, all the while functioning as a hired hand for Brand Rajinikanth,' points out Sreehari Nair.
Rajini's call may now force other political parties, including the DMK and the Congress, who are in alliance talks already, to come up with water proposals of their own in their poll manifesto. In a way, this may be a 'tactical victory' for Rajinikanth, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
With the 'Tamizhar Munnetra Padai' planning to picket the actor's house at Poes Garden, security was stepped up there.
'The BJP doesn't have to do anything except nudge the AIADMK in one direction.'
Tamil actor Dhanush talks about his Bollywood debut and being superstar Rajinikanth's son-in-law.
Kudos to Director Karthik Subbaraj for bringing back the Rajini of the 1990s, says A Ganesh Nadar.
The South Indian Film Artistes' association -- also known as the Thenindiya Nadigar Sangam -- on Tuesday organised a one-day hunger strike to protest against the alleged atrocities committed against the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
The aftermath of Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan has led to an argument that there was no religion as Hinduism in Chola times.
Instead, there was only Saivism, Vaishnavism, etc, and that the Cholas were Saivites, and hence not Hindus, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
'I always believed films don't have any language.'
Rajinikanth's Kaala Karikalan releases on June 7.
'He could memorise a song in any language, but he understood the feelings behind the words in every language.'
The hits and misses of the week.
Actors can take up all sorts of roles and characters and look totally unrecognisable in them.
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