SOUTH Indian film megastar Rajinikanth is to begin work on a new film, his studio said today, hoping to replicate the success of last year’s record-breaking “Endhiran” (Robot).
Eros International said shooting for “Rana” (Monarch) would get under way on Friday (April 29) in Chennai, once the cast and crew had conducted a ritual “puja” or prayer ceremony.
As well as the evergreen former Chennai bus conductor-turned-actor, the film will feature leading actress Deepika Padukone and music by the Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, the studio said in a statement.
The award-winning creative director Charles Darby, who worked on Hollywood blockbusters including “Titanic”, the Harry Potter series and “Minority Report”, will oversee special effects, it added.
“Rana will be a live action magnum opus with Rajinikanth playing a triple role,” the studio said.
The film, due out next year, will be in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu, following the successful formula of “Endhiran”, which collected Rs950m ($21m/£12.57m) in its opening weekend – an Indian box office record.
“Endhiran”, a science-fiction fantasy, was touted as the most expensive Indian film ever made at $35m (£20.96m), but there was no indication of the budget for “Rana”.
A star of more than 150 films, Rajinikanth, 60, has carved out a niche as a moustachioed action hero.
His fans take hero-worship to an extraordinary level, praying in front of life-size cardboard cut-outs of the actor and making offerings of milk to Hindu gods for the success of his latest release.
