Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 24, 2018)

His last release FryDay may not have fared well at the box-office but Govinda is supremely confident about his next release Rangeela Raja. Not only is it touted to be a massy entertainer, a genre the Hero No 1 actor excels in, but it also reunites him with his Aankhen (1993) producer Pahlaj Nihalani after 25 years. When we catch up with the actor at his residence, he looks upbeat and cheerful. His film is currently embroiled in a controversy with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and the release date has gone haywire, but Govinda is unperturbed. With his innate sense of humour, he takes on the Censor chief, and simultaneously takes digs at his director. Here, the actor talks about his upcoming film, making a career out of South remakes and more...     

Rangeela Raja has been given 20 cuts by the CBFC. What is your take on it?
What happens is, when they feel something has the potential to be a hit, woh rok laga dete hai. I have seen films released in the last 10 years or for that matter even the last 30 years having much more controversial content than Rangeela Raja. I think this is a clear case of double standards. It can’t be about what you (censor) think or how it should be. You have to see what is happening in the society. I understand that if there’s a villain and the negativity in terms of language is too much, then woh maa-behen ki galiyan nahin dega. Brutal murders will not be shown. There won’t be lengthy smooching scenes. But apart from that, if he has to show he is wrong, explain how he should do it? I had told Pahlaj ji if you are taking on this subject, show the negative aspect the way it is. If the character is using abusive language, let him, as it will look contemporary. The film will get an ‘A’ certificate and at least that section of the audience will come in large numbers. But Pahlaj ji didn’t do that. He said, ‘My films are not like that, mujhe accha nahin lagta’.

Please continue...
I am amused that despite all that unka yeh haal hua (laughs). Which means being the former chairperson (of the CBFC) woh apeksha kar rahe the. He had a feeling ki mere saath aisa dhokha hoga. He was making the film with decency, but still got betrayed. Nowadays, everything is so personal. People talk and attack personally. 

What is the film about?
It is about how in every household there are some people who are colourful by nature and because of them, the family members get into a situation. It is inspired by a South movie that was made around 30-33 years ago. It was directed by K Balachander and starred Rajinikanth. I don’t remember the name, but it was a superhit film of those times. I have done so many South remakes like Raja Babu, Aankhen, Shola Aur Shabnam and Haseena Maan Jayegi. I had followed Jeetendra ji’s idea of remaking South cinema. He would buy the rights, but I would get inspired by the thought and make it in our way. They would become successful. South remakes have proved lucky for me.

The Rajinkanth-starrer is nearly three decades old, have you contemporarised it in any way?
Some thoughts don’t get old or die... like a person mistakenly thinking that whatever he is doing is right. This has been there since the time of Lord Indra, who was a colourful personality and used to trouble the Gods. He felt that since he is the Lord of Gods, he can do no wrong. In Rangeela Raja, it is something similar. When things are explained to him, he changes to some extent within the framework of his character, which I think is the novelty of the film. We are not trying to convince that everything is fine, a concept which is very today.

About your last release FryDay, you said that it wasn’t given enough theatres and that your movies are being targeted. Why do you feel that?
I said it because it’s true and I don’t want to discuss that.

What are your expectations from Rangeela Raja?
It will do great business. It is a massy entertainer and there is no hindrance to it because Pahlaj ji is a distributor himself. Reach ki problem nahin hogi. Yes, it might get delayed a bit and if they are stubborn it will get an ‘A’ rating.

Earlier in your career, some of your songs like Sarkaile Khatiya (Raja Babu) had run into trouble...
Nahin, ussmein jo thoda sa bindaas tha, ‘U’ certificate ke saath chhod diya (laughs). In fact, I was taking objection during the shoot. David (Dhawan) told me, ‘Sadhu ka chola pehenkar baahar nikal jao, film line mein nahin chalega’. So, I gave the shot and thought yeh cut jayega, par aisa nahin hua (laughs).

But there was a controversy...
Yes, people didn’t let me enjoy the success (laughs).

Don’t you think it’s time for a reinvention?
I have already done it. If you watch FryDay, you will realise it. Eighty per cent of the film is shot in a house, but despite that, it is not boring. It has been handled in a classy way. If you ask me, I think it was a masterpiece. Critics gave it three-and-a-half stars, and they are not fools.

Yet, it didn’t do well...
(Cuts in) It wasn’t allowed to do well. I don’t believe in Rs 100 crore business. It is fake, it’s a drama. If something is allowed to run (in theatres), and then it does well or not, it’s your fate. And, it’s not just with me, this has happened to several people including some big stars and they, too, have fought.

David Dhawan is remaking Hero No 1 with Varun Dhawan...
I don’t want to comment on it.

Any plans of exploring the digital platform?
Right now, I am focussing on films because I think with FryDay I have started again. At least it got released, warna pehle release ki problem hoti thi. Kitne films dabbe mein reh gayi. Next, Rangeela Raja will hit the theatres with cuts or no cuts — depends on Pahlaj ji whether he accepts or not — or how successful Prasoon Joshi ji is in having his way. I will probably do a film or a series on the digital platform mid-2019, not before that. I had an offer in 2017, but I didn’t take it up.

On the threshold of his political career, and what can be argued as one of his last films (Vishwaroopam 2), Kamal Haasan talks about being pitted against Rajinikanth, his undying love for cinema, and political plans
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; July 22, 2018)

You've spent almost six decades in the film industry. Do you still feel the excitement when your film is ready to release?
The best part about filmmaking is watching how an idea solidifies and gets developed into a film. It's always exciting to witness it. The next best thing is the process between the making of the film and the screening for the audience. Yes, there are trials and tribulations, but believing that you can deliver the product is a great feeling. I don't consider acting a job. If I did, I would feel claustrophobic. I have never worked to attain money or fame. I stopped pursuing that when I was 21. For me, there is nothing more satisfying than being on a film set.

How do you justify quitting films, which has been your bread and butter, to enter politics?
I have earned enough bread and butter to survive. It may not be as much as Mr Mukesh Ambani, but I am satisfied [laughs]. Even if he has 20 bedrooms in his house, he has to sleep in one. When it comes to any ailment, we are both in the same boat. I am happy where I am today. The question that arises in my mind is 'what have I done for the people who admired and loved me unconditionally?' I shouldn't while away my time languishing on my past laurels. With the limited time I have, I want to offer my services to the people. I may sound like a kanjoos [miser] as I spent 60 years satiating my needs, but if I go away without giving anything, I will feel guilty.

Won't you miss the magic of making movies?
I am happy watching them, so I won't miss the magic. Even when I am making Vishwaroopam 2, it's not all about me. I am proud when someone tells me that they saw a new side to Rahul Bose [co-actor] in the film. I learnt this from my mentor K Balachander, who owned all my performances as his without stealing my thunder, like a parent. I have always thought of a film as my child.

In 2013, you stated that you do not wish to enter the Parliament in the name of service to people. What changed the decision?
I believe this is the right time for me to take the plunge into active politics. We need better governance. Thirty-five years ago, MGR had asked me to join politics, but I refused to do it. However, I have been in social service for more than 35 years. I am a politiculturist, not an opportunist. I have come with an agenda to make necessary changes for the betterment of the society.

Before launching your party [Makkal Needhi Maiam] you said that greatness can come from simple beginnings. Is it the same ideology on which the foundation of your political party has been laid?
Yes. I am a fan of Mahatma Gandhi. I would use the word 'fan' carefully, as I don't follow his ideology all the way. I can be his critic and son at the same time. I would rather think of him as a common man with a great mind, than as a Mahatma. Gandhi is imitable in today's time and that is how a great life should be led. It takes guts to follow ahimsa and I am trying to follow that. My party is centrist, which is gaining popularity.

But in films like Indian (1996) and Vishwaroopam you have portrayed characters inclined towards the right wing.
Films and politics are two different things. In films, it is all about changing the world and it happens by the end. I am not promising that to my people, neither am I assuring them of temporary solutions. I am not a leader to give advice; I am a worker, who is going to listen to the advice of the people.

You hope to create leaders in the future, yet we hear only of Kamal Haasan as the representative of Makkal Needhi Maiam.
I am not making a movie, which will have superstars in it. I am trying to get qualified people on board and by 'qualified' I don't mean existing politicians. There are a lot of IAS and IPS officers, who have joined the party. We even have doctors, lawyers and concerned citizens who have never been in politics before, but understand it. So, we will reveal things about the party in time.

Do people's expectations give you sleepless nights?
My fans are like my family, and they don't expect anything but for me to succeed. I have been like an elder brother directing them, but those coming new to the party, come with criticism, and I have to work to solve their issues or questions.

We are living at a time where anyone can be lynched for their opinion. What do you make of this situation?
It's cruel. Recently, an 11-year-old physically challenged girl was raped by 17 men in Tamil Nadu. It's a shame on our state. I am a Tamilian, and I hang my head in shame. I have let down my daughters by not taking care of them. I feel guilty and all fathers should. Don't tell them that they should dress properly so that they are safe or wear your caste on your forehead to be safe. What kind of an assurance is that? Tomorrow if a two-year-old trips and falls everyone should gasp in concern and reach forward to help. If that doesn't happen, this is not a society.

What stops the ruling government from talking about these issues? In fact, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an outlet with Mann Ki Baat...
[Interrupts] Manoranjan alag hai, aur mann ki baat alag hai. You need to understand people's minds to talk and that's what the PM is trying to do, but invariably in governance, manpasand jo hai woh hi kar lete hai. We are still learning democracy. We look at our leaders as monarchs, which needs to change. My party was also accused of carrying slogans similar to others. I apologised and assured people that it won't happen again. Unlike Arvind Kejriwal, who was unknown, but makes a dent in politics, I am a known person, who has been worshipped without my consent. Now, I have to tell those people that we have other things to do.

Movies to now politics, there is constant comparison between Rajinikanth and you.
It is unfair to compare two people with different ideologies. Our films are proof of it. Similarly, we have set our own path in politics. It is not right to make it a Kamal vs Rajini battle.

If a situation arises, in the best interest of Tamil Nadu, would you see a collaboration with his party?
That entirely depends on his manifesto. I will not be party to non-secular rabble-rousing. We will be tough with him if there is any criticism, and would be equally open to appreciation. Right now, we are saying opposite things; if it continues then it is going to be difficult. This kind of alliance is an opportunistic agreement and not a political stand, and I think both of us would stay away from indulging in it.

What is the first change you hope to bring, if your party is given a mandate by Tamil Nadu people in 2021?
I would sign the Lokayukta Bill, so that it puts the sword of Damocles even above my head. I know it's going to be a sword, which might fall anytime on me, but if I don't do it, how am I going to be different from any other politician. Lokayukta is not just going to be a mirror on the wall, which says 'who is the fairest of them all'. It will show an ugly face.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 8, 2018)

When Lata Mangeshkar and S P Balasubrahmanyam were recording “Hum Tum Donon Jab Mil Jayenge, Ek Naya Itihaas Banayenge” for K Balachander’s 1981 tragic romance Ek Duuje Ke Liye, under Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s baton, little did they know that they were on their way to creating box-office history. Even though Vasu and Sapna’s prem kahaani did not have the happily ever after ending, it still resonates in our collective memory 37 years later.

His Bollywood debut, bagged SPB his second National Award, after K Viswanath’s Sankarabharanam in 1980, and Pyarelal bhai confides that whenever the singer came home, his wife would request a song or two from the Telugu musical. Buzz is, Carnatic vocalist-musician-composer-actor M Balamuralikrishna was the first choice for the male playback given the score’s largely classical content, but composer K V Mahadevan had insisted on SPB.

Reports suggest that in the case of Ek Duuje Ke Liye too, it was Balachander who pushed for the singer despite L-P’s initial misgivings. Pyarelal bhai refutes this gossip strongly, pointing out that despite being die-hard Kishore Kumar fans, they had convinced Do Raaste’s leading man Rajesh Khanna to move away from Kishore’s voice which after Aradhana had become synonymous with his, and experiment with Mohd. Rafi’s. “And after listening to 'Yeh Reshmi Zulfen' Khanna sahab acknowledged that we’d made the right choice,” the music director reminisces, pointing out that SPB too had been their choice even though like Kamal Haasan’s character Vasu, he barely knew Hindi at the time. “He would do exactly what they told him to and his accent and pronunciation added to the credibility of the character.”

Ek Duuje Ke Liye was a remake of K Balachander’s 1978 Telugu film, Maro Charitra, and revolved around Vasu, a Tamil boy, who woos Sapna, his neighbour in Goa, with “Mere Jeevan Saathi Pyaar Kiye Jaa”, an innovative medley of Hindi film titles. The song was picturised in the cramped elevator of a five-star hotel in Chennai and Rati Agnihotri who at 16 was too young to understand the wild passion that sweeps the lovers along, simply surrendered to her director who gently steered her through the emotional highs and lows. “The only problem was that I didn’t speak a word of Tamil so when Balachander sir suddenly veered from English to Tamil while explaining a scene to me, I’d look at him blankly till Prasad ji (producer L V Prasad) took over as interpreter and guide,” Rati informs with a laugh.

There’s an interesting story behind how Anup Jalota came to sing “Solah Baras Ki Bali Umar Ko Salaam, Pyaar Teri Pehli Nazar Ko Salaam”. Pyarelal bhai recalls that while they were rehearsing, L V Prasad came into the studio and delighted with the lyrics, offered his salaam to Anand Bakshi. Smiling at their exchange the composer stepped out and found Madan Mohan’s daughter waiting with a young man whom she introduced as a good singer, Anup Jalota, who wanted to see a song being recorded and Pyarelal bhai invited them inside. The Lata melody was preceded by a two-line doha-— “Koshish kar ke dekh le dariya sare nadiya sari/ Dil ki lagi nahi bujhati, bujhati hai har chingari” — and the composers wanted a voice other than SPB’s for this prelude. “Laxmi ji suggested we record it with Anup whose father, Purshottam Das Jalota, he knew to be a respected bhajan singer,” he informs.

The film was a blockbuster and made Kamal Haasan, Rati and Madhavi, household names across the country. Rati continued her star trek, going on to feature in a number of hits, including Farz Aur Kanoon, Coolie and Tawaif. Kamal Haasan moved from strength to strength down South with films like Moondram Pirai, Nayakan, Pushpak and Thevar Magan.

“Around five-six years after Ek Duuje Ke Liye, he came to us for a film he wanted to produce. The film had great scope for music but we weren’t sure if the pan-India audience would accept a classical Indian dancer for a hero and pointed it out to him. That film was never made but Ek Duuje Ke Liye or as Sapna explains to Vasu in the film, ‘We are made for each other, samjhe?’ proved that love, like music, speaks a language of its own that’s universal and timeless,” Pyarelal bhai sums up.

Kamal Haasan (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 26, 2018)

Sridevi Kapoor was an astounding talent. I have known her from her teens. She was still a child when she came to work with me and K Balachander, my mentor. He gave me the responsibility to correct her and teach her some dance moves. I’ve witnessed her journey into becoming the magnificent lady she eventually became.

When she came on set first for the P Bharathiraja film Pathinaru Vayathinile (1977), she was 15 and not as talented as she went on to become later. But she developed her skills every day. She learnt the art. I was astounded by her progress and she worked very hard to achieve it. She was very fond of me and I of her. We did 27 films together and we were working continuously. The kind of dedication she had truly matched mine.

I saw her just last month. Both of us aren’t too prone to showing emotions but we both hugged each other and today, I am very grateful for that last hug. Sadma’s song rings in my ears now. I think that’s a great lullaby for the talented, beautiful Sridevi. She had a happy life. Her stardom was well-deserved. I will miss her.

My deepest condolences to her family, I know how much Sridevi loved her family and her daughters. Once, we were at a party together and I found both mother and daughter cuddling in a corner and I was making fun of them. That poor child is going to miss all of that now. Hold on, hang in there, Boney!
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Hrithik Roshan (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 26, 2018)

I loved her and admired her so much. My first acting shot was with Sridevi and I was nervous to be in front of her. I remember her shaking her hands pretending to be nervous too, just because she wanted to boost my confidence. We had to laugh together and she kept laughing until I got it right. I will miss you Ma’am. I am at a loss for words. She was the brightest, the most magnificent star of all. Rest in peace.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 21, 2015)

The doyen of Tamil cinema and maker of Ek Duuje Ke Liye, breathed his last at Chennai hospital
Gladwin Emmanuel (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 24, 2014)

July 9, 1930 to Dec 23, 2014

Veteran Tamil filmmaker K Balachander, 84, passed away in Chennai on Tuesday evening. He is survived by his wife Rajam, son Prasanna and daughter Pushpa.

The director was not keeping well since the death of his son Kailasam in August this year. Balachander was admitted to Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on December 15. He was suffering from high fever along with other age related complications. He later developed urinary tract infection and was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit.

Popularly known as 'Iyakkunar Sigaram,' and K B, he along with Balu Mahendra, who passed away in February, and Bharathiraja took Tamil cinema to new heights. With Balu Mahendra and Bharathiraja, he made up the three Bs of Tamil cinema.

If Mahendra's movies were a visual treat, Bharathiraja's pet subject was the brutal realities of the beautiful Southern countryside. On the other hand, Balachander was at ease with unconventional themes and social issues. He made a smooth transition from the black-and-white era to the present and was known for his path-breaking films.

The hallmark of his films, when he was most prolific between 1960s and 1980s, was the bold portrayal of female characters. He pushed the envelope and made movies which broke the barriers of accepted standards of 'morality' in conservative Tamil society.

His Maro Charitra with Saritha in the lead was re-made into Hindi as Ek Duuje Ke Liye with Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri in 1981.

K.B was introduced by M.G.R who asked him to write the screenplay-dialogue for his Dheiva Thaai in 1964. He directed over 100 films and introduced superstar Rajinikanth in Apoorva Raagangal.

Both Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth considered Balachander their guru.

A recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2010, he has also won the National Awards nine times and the Padma Shri in 1987.

He was also a screenwriter, producer, stage conductor, occasional actor and television director. He produced several hit films through his production house Kavithaalaya Production and continued making television serials even after he made his exit from films.

Kamal Haasan looks back at his career as he turns 60 today
Subhash K Jha (DNA; November 7, 2014)

Much, much more comfortable. It’s like I’ve taken a vapour elation. I can breathe easy. I feel rejuvenated. I feel relaxed. I now have a smile on my face and it’s showing in my films.

You’re 60 now. Out of these, a good 50 years in front of the camera. Aren’t you exhausted?
The day I start looking at acting as work, I would be. Working for money or fame saps you. I stopped doing that 30 years ago. The only time I am really happy is when I am in front of the camera. When I am not, I start ruminating, retrospecting and brooding.

How do you manage to get so excited about your films even today?
Because the first 100 films that I got were market-driven. They were films which everyone presumed were going by the market demand. Actually, there was so much I wanted to do. People advised, scolded and counselled me about my career. So, one day, I woke up and decided to nurture Kamal Haasan, the actor.

Would you do another film with your brother-in-law Mani Ratnam?
We keep discussing ideas. But we never get down to it. I don’t know what we fear. We spoke again on my birthday when he came visiting. He wanted to know what it felt like acting, producing and directing all at once.

What does it feel like?
It’s easier to move the table on the sets yourself than to ask someone else to do it. But seriously, direction is a lot of responsibility. But if you’ve been trained under my mentor K Balachander as I have, it’s a lot easier. You have everything down on paper before you start shooting. Alfred Hitchcock used to say he had everything in his script and then he had to begin the boring process of directing it. By now, while directing I am experienced enough to know my moves.

Your elder daughter Shruti Haasan has made a career in both Tamil and Hindi.
I’m proud of her because she isn’t doing a product of our home banner Rajkamal Films. The only thing Rajkamal did for her was to give her a chance to do the background score in Unnaipol Oruvan. It wouldn’t matter to me if she failed as a movie actress. But right now, it looks like a winning streak.

Don’t you want to act in a film with her?
Shruti has been telling me that we should. But I don’t want her to do it just for the heck of it. She is a star now. I want her to act in one of our home productions for the glory of our banner. By the way for the Tamil version of Dasavthaaram she was my coach for my American accent. She had just returned from the US and was the perfect medium to help her father’s Madrasi accent to be transformed into a Yankee accent. She was a bully. She made me do many retakes in the dubbing. And after the dubbing she wanted me to correct some more of my accent. Everyone thought that was taking it a little too far (laughs).

And your younger daughter?
Every time Akshara stands behind the camera and says , ‘This is where I want to be, I am reminded of myself.’ I started behind the camera and gradually moved to the front.

Do you think you’ve got the success that your talent deserved?
I would probably say I deserve a little more than I’ve got. People like Shah Rukh Khan, Dustin Hoffman, Kamal Haasan, Aamir Khan are all short. Somewhere we may have been short-changed (laughs). Our height is the first thing people notice. People think we’re the ones who have gotten away with it in spite of our height. But come and see me where I live. I’m tall in every sense (laughs).

But nobody talks about your being short.
They don’t. That’s what I mean by getting away with it (laughs). I couldn’t get any shorter than Appu in Appu Raja. But he was a tall guy. The conventional Greek God looks mould was broken long back. I mean look at Shatru Saab (Shatrughan Sinha) or Rajini(kanth). They are a rage. When I started in films I was slotted in villainous roles. That’s why I say it isn’t bravery to produce my own films. It’s sheer logic.

What do you think about Raijnikanth as an actor?
When we were still in our 20s I asked him why he has to be so stylised on screen. He told me that’s the secret of his future success. I assured him my style would also be a winner. He turned around to say, ‘Fair enough. You do your thing and I’ll do my own.’ Rajni is a phenomenon too.

You mean, phenomenon no. 2?
(laughs) No seriously, both of us were young actors who started from scratch. He was the bus conductor with acting aspirations. I was the clapper boy who got the clap in my very film (Kamal played a character with venereal disease in his first adult role). We didn’t have fathers to make movies for us. But we had the same godfather K.Balachander. It’s quite strange, but our paths as actors were always intertwined. Initially we were both typecast as villains. I got fed up of doing those and went away to Kerala to do Malayalam films. Then, his career as a villain took off, and I returned to Chennai to pursue a career in Tamil cinema. We made our way up together.

Are you keen on doing another film with Rajnikanth?
It depends. He said if we do a film together, he won’t direct it. It has to be either me or someone else. It would be quite interesting to do a film with him. I guess we’ll do a film together. We’ve been talking about it for five years. We’re worried about the expectations.

Any replacements for you and Rajinikanth?
There was a time when audiences said no-one could replace Sivaji Ganesan saab. Out of modesty he would say, his replacement would come. It took a long time for him to see a spark in me. He took me seriously as an actor after 17 years. But I’m not being modest. I’m being realistic when I say a replacement will come.

Do you feel frustrated when you see bad performances by superstars?
Even Bill Gates is frustrated. He can’t act like Chaplin. It’s a cruel and unkind world. Buster Keaton wasn’t able to sell himself. Actors who are absolutely convincing, are a rare commodity. They don’t need to stand and wave with medals around their necks. There’s something very lovely that Dev Saab once said, ‘The first person who must respect you has got be yourself’. That’s a very difficult thing to do.

Are your dreams getting bigger ?
No, for that I have to sleep longer. And I don’t believe in daydreaming. But my (incomplete) film Marudhanayagam remains one of my dreams. But It’s not my ultimate dream. Why should it be that, unless I plan to commit harakiri soon afterwards?

Is it becoming progressively difficult for you to make films on your own terms?
It’s always difficult, on my own and on others’ terms. But I’ve no complaints. I’m a pampered technocrat. I sometimes want to get to my knees and thank the Lord. But unlike a painting, filmmaking is not an isolated endeavour. Making a film is like fighting a war. You can lose any time. Your soldiers might fail you. Your courage might fail you.

Shubha Shetty-Saha (MID-DAY; March 11, 2014)

Rajinikanth's power lies not just in the jokes that are made about him. You have to be in Chennai to taste it first hand. We had the pleasure of witnessing it at the music launch of his next film, Kochadaiiyaan, directed by his daughter, Saundarya Rajinikanth Ashwin. The auditorium Satyam Cinema, where the event was held, was bursting with people wanting a glimpse of the event, that was slated to start at 10.30 am. Rajini’s affable wife, Lata, and their daughters, Saundarya and Aishwarya, were already at the venue at 10 in the morning. Son-in-law actor Dhanush came soon after, dressed in a traditional white shirt and mundu.

Rajini came in exactly at 10.25 am and the fans went berserk. He was followed by AR Rahman, who has composed the music for the film. Whoever doubted the punctuality of South film stars had their questions answered. Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Jackie Shroff came in after ten odd minutes. We hear both of them took a chartered flight from Mumbai at around seven in the morning to reach the venue on time. When the legend arrives on time, the otherwise not-so-punctual Bollywood stars toe the line.

We are told that heads of 500 of his fan clubs (he has over 70,000 registered fan clubs) were invited to the event as a goodwill gesture. Seated in the balcony, these fan club reps screamed and cheered loudly every time ‘Rajini Sir’ as much as craned his neck, proving their loyalty.

Most speeches on the dais were made in Tamil but one speech stood out — it even left Rajinikanth misty eyed.

This was when director K Balachander, the man who gave him the first break, recollected how he knew that history was being made when he saw Rajinikanth give his first shot. SRK, in his speech, reminisced about the time when he was a struggling actor and he had managed to enter one of Rajnikanth’s film sets in Mukesh Mills in Mumbai. He recalled how he had watched Rajinikanth practice his cigarette act in front of the mirror, and how he was inspired upon seeing this man work so hard for his audiences.

All in all, it was a memorable afternoon.