Rajinikanth expanding empire with Shivaji

By: Raymond Ronamai
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Emperor Shivaji won battles, superstar Rajinikanth wins hearts. Yes, everybody loves Rajinikanth, and people fondly call him Rajini. He is like wine in many ways - the older he grows, the stronger he becomes. Also, people get drunk on seeing his splendid performance on the big screens. He lives the idiom 'old is gold'. Still there is not even a single actor who has the courage to challenge his throne. He is no doubt the 'king of South Indian cinema' and perhaps in the whole country. Now, he is set to expand his empire through Shivaji.

Film lovers have every reason to expect the moon from Shivaji. After all, big names like superstar Rajinikanth, prestigious production house AVM Productions, hot director Shankar and music maestro A.R.Rahman come together to belt out this mammoth project. Owing to this incredible combination, speculations were rife as to who would play Rajini's heroine. The list of actresses considered for the female lead role included Bollywood heroines Aishwarya Rai (Aishwarya Bachchan), Rani Mukherjee and Ayesha Takia. The pity is that they could not take it up due to unavailability of dates. South Indian actresses like Jyothika, Trisha, Nayantara and Sneha were also considered but Shreya grabbed the coveted role at the end.

People never seem to have enough of Rajini and his Shivaji. The film has been in the news constantly ever since it was announced a year and a half ago. Rumours and speculations have become the order of the day. Director Shankar's silence made the people look every way to have a piece of the film. At last, he has revealed that Shivaji would make everybody happy. And yes, its wallpapers and trailers speak volumes. Rajini looks great with peepy hairstyle and so too is his heroine Shreya.

The film was initially scheduled for release on Tamil New Year Day on April 14 but it was postponed to May 31. Now, the final date for its release is June 15. The makers of the film are leaving no stone unturned to make this film a huge blockbuster and hence the delay. The news is doing the rounds that its rights in various states have been sold at a whooping price and its channel rights has been sold to Kalaignar TV for a huge sum. It is also said that it will be released with record prints. Plans are on to release it across the world simultaneously along with the original and Telugu versions.

With the final countdown for its release having begun, people are waiting with bated breath to have a glimpse of their favourite star on the big screens. The film will surely make a fantastic opening, Rajini has a huge fan base, but the big question that awaits an answer is - will Shivaji live up to the expectations? Well, only time can tell this and oneindia.in is here to let you know its fate when it hits the theatres. So, be with us to know the latest updates.