WANNA KNOW WHY RAJNIKANTH IS THE BIG BOSS OF INDIAN FILM INDUSTRY? READ ON

He is revered by the people, adored by filmgoers, and deified by his fans. He has fan clubs in more than a dozen countries in the world; his films are a rage in south-East Asia, especially Japan and China, and his latest film was released in some ten countries. What makes Rajnikant, who has changed the definition of a filmi hero, a huge phenomenon that has the nation go bonkers whenever his film releases?

"Style, style and only style," says Sreedhar Dorairaj, a senior business development executive in an IT company. "It might look funny for people who don't know him. But, he is famous the world over for his style."

Style is an understatement for his gimmicks like throwing a cigarette in the air and lighting it midway, his quick gun moves, his unique way of brushing his hair, and his ability to shuffle the things in his hand in rapid succession. "They may be small things, but they have a huge impact on the audience," says Dorairaj.

Abhishek Shetty, general manager in a hotel, feels that Rajnikant "creates an impression" whenever he appears on the screen. "His gestures like the way he puts his shawl, movement of his hands, wearing goggles, and his unique gait during the opening scene of the movie make people go crazy."

In fact, so popular has he become for his handling of the gun, that one of the music channels had a promo for its regional programmes, titled Quick Gun Murugan. Explains Anand Vishnu, an entertainment journalist, "Rajnikanth has a seasoned but bizarre style that every kid on the streets loves to imitate. Besides his unique style, he also has an amazing screen presence that makes him an irreplaceable icon."

But, it is too simplistic an explanation for his legendary status in the Indian film industry today. It's true he owes his meteoric rise in the '80s to his gimmicks. But, gimmicks alone cannot explain his larger-than-life persona that puts him miles ahead of his colleagues in the film industry.

Says Sunitha Chowdhury, a film journalist from Hyderabad, "All this talk about style and gimmicks is a thing of the past. Only people who haven't watched him closely attribute his unusual popularity to gimmicks. On the contrary, Rajnikant has carefully cultivated an image to ensure a place in the hearts of the people."

In a word, Rajnikant has transformed himself from an angry young man, bashing up the baddies in the 80s, to the comic superstar of the 90s and 2000s with his brand of humour. And, when he digs into his aggresive side, his one-liners deliver such a punch that they reverberate in the theatre with the background music giving it the right effect, sending tremors amlong the baddies. And so popular are they that they echo in the minds of the people, years after the film is released, whenever they talk about Rajnikant or his films.

What lends the punchlines such a mesmerising effect is that some of them are intended to be political missiles like the one from Padayappa, reportedly aimed at the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa. Similarly, the one-liner 'Nobody will know when I will arrive, or how I will arrive, but I will arrive when I ought to arrive' was meant to ward off the speculation of his entry into politics. In an industry that is closely associated with politics, Rajnikant had made the most of the people's political awareness. And soomed his way to the top!

THE SECRET OF RAJNI'S POPULARITY IS IN THE PUNCH LINES

* Naan solrathaiyum seiven, sollathathiyum seiven. (I will do what I say, I will also do what I don't say)
-- Annamalai (1992

* Naan oru dhadavai sonna nooru dhadavai sonna madhiri ( If I say it once, it's like saying it a hundred times)
-- Basha (1995)

* Naan eppa varuven, eppadi varuvennu yarukkum theriyadhu, aana varavendiya neratthil correct-aga varuven (Nobody will know when I will arrive, or how I will arrive, but I will arrive when I ought to arrive)
-- Muthu (1995

* Andavan solran. Arunachalam seiran (God orders, Arunachalam follows)
-- Arunachalam (1997

* En vazhi – thani vazhi (My way is the highway)
-- Padayappa (1999

* Khatham, gatham (The past is past)
-- Baba (2002

* Laka, laka, laka
-- Chandramukhi (2006).

* The latest to tease the audiences is 'COOL' from Sivaji: The Boss

(Courtesy: Pune Times)

YOU HAVE SEEN SIVAJI: THE BOSS, NOW LISTEN TO WHAT DIRECTOR SANKAR HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE FILM

RAJNIKANT'S SIVAJI: THE BOSS GETS THE BEST EVER RATING FROM THE PRINT MEDIA

They broke pumpkins to ward off evil eyes, lit camphor to perform aarti and bathed gigantic cut-outs of Rajnikant with hundreds of litres of milk. As crackers burst incessantly, the Tamil superstar's fans exhibited their joy by distributing sweets.

Film buffs in Tamil Nadu gave a rousing yet traditional welcome to "the boss's" latest avatar as Sivaji, the one-man demolition squad against black money, in his newest offering, Sivaji: The Boss, which had a global release on Friday.

"It was great to watch Rajni. I enjoyed Sivaji thoroughly. Though it's long (3 hours and 6 minutes), it never bored me even for a second," said Chennai Corporation mayor M Subramanian.

For the most expensive film ever made (Rs 95 crore) in the history of Indian cinema, Sivaji's first two days' bookings in just Chennai crossed Rs 3 crore. "It's a smash hit. With such response, it'll have a long run. Our investment will bring back good returns," said C T Valliapan, owner of Kamala Theatre. In Chennai, the film had a 16-screen opening. "We're housefull for the next 14 days," he said.

As is the case with every Rajni film, Sivaji's story too is not thick plot. It goes like this: Sivaji (Rajnikant) is a US-based software professional who returns to India to work in his native land. A socialist and do-gooder, he tries to establish a university and hospital with his own money. His aim is not to profit; but, give free education, treatment and employment opportunities to the poor.

The Indian Robinhood, in turn, uses the entire money for the welfare of the poor and needy. Rajni fan Valliappan is certain the actor has replicated his old magic yet again. "It has the production standards of a Hollywood film in terms of grandeur and technical value," he said.

R Pandirajan, a call centre employee, who is not a Rajini fan, said he wasn't disappointed. "It has all the ingredients — comedy, action, punch, dialogue, all Rajni style." But, who will fight the touts selling tickets for Rs 1,000?

(Courtesy: The Times of India)

SHRIYA IS RAVISHING IN SIVAJI: THE BOSS

It was a double bonanza for Shriya Saran in Sivaji: The Boss. For, she gets instant recognition in Tamil film industry, where she is relatively new and also revives her flagging fortunes in the Telugu film industry. Shriya plays the role of a good-hearted village belle in the film. And she plays it to perfection. And she has some livewire scenes with Rajnikanth, where not only comedy but also pathos is revealed. What more, the film has some of the best songs and Shriya being the heroine, gets to hog the limelight in all of them barring one, where Nayanatara gets to swing her hips with Rajnikanth. And Shriya, we must say, is absolutely ravishing in the film. She gets to wear different costumes, display different body languages, and simple wows the audiences with all of them. What adds charm to her role is the way Shriya matches step for step a la Sridevi in the songs: Aaku chatu pinde tadise (from Vetagadu), Nee kallu chebutunnayi nanu preminchanani (Premabhishekam), and Abbabee tiyyanee debba (Jagadeka Veerudu, Atiloka Sundari) which were recreated for fun effect in Sivaji. While Rajnikanth stole the limelight in these songs, Shriya didn't lag behind either. The theatres were inundated with whistles when the duo stepped in tune to the songs.

Hope her career which is taking a nosedive will look up to the skies with Sivaji.

SUMAN GETS THE BEST BET FROM SIVAJI: THE BOSS, AND HE WILL BEOME THE TALK OF TOLLYWOOD IN THE DAYS TO COME

What could be a better re-launch vehicle for Suman, who is struggling to find his feet in the Telugu film industry for the last 10 years? And what a role he bagged in Sivaji: The Boss. Any villian worth his cronies would die for it. And especially if it is a Rajnikanth film, and directed by the legendary Shankar, it makes it all the more significant. Suman plays the lead villain, that of Adiseshan, the godfather of education mafia in Sivaji. And with the politicians and bureaucrats in his pockets, he makes life hell for a decent NRI, Rajnikanth, who comes to serve his country by opening up charitable hospitals and educational institutions. Definitely, Suman does not get cowed down by Rajnikanth's larger-than-life persona in the film. He does his best not to be blown away by the charisma and exudes a sly resonance while taking on Rajnikanth. He is truly astounding in the film.

Talking to a news channel, some days back, of how he got the role, Suman said, "He (Shankar) wanted someone with a screen image, perhaps that of a hero. He wanted someone with a soft face, who does not look villainish. A classy face. The main thing was the performance because this person has to perform opposite Rajinikanth."

Admittedly, Suman who hadn't played the bad guy, was nervous whether he would do justice to the role. But he says Rajinikanth encouraged him. "I was a little hesitant. But Rajini told me not to feel embarrassed and gave me a lot of support. There are scenes where his fans are going to feel bad," said Suman.

Now, on hindsight, all one can say, is Suman is bound to reap a rich harvest in terms of good roles and great money with his subtle, yet strong, performance in Sivaji. All the best Suman. You deserve it.

YOU CAN'T STOP THE RAJNI JUGGERNAUT! SIVAJI ROLLS ON MAJESTICALLY INTO THE AUDIENCES' HEARTS

If wishes were horses, Rajnikanth would ride off to the Himalayas and take sanyas. Seriously. We're not joking. For the expectations from him are so mindbogglingly huge, that even if gives the best of the best hits, it is not enough. The discriminating audience and the critics want even more. A superlative verdict. A perfect work of art. But, sadly, only plastic things are perfect, while living things look good with their little imperfections.

Take, for example, Sivaji: The Boss, which was released with much fanfare today. It has all the ingredients, and in the right doses, to call it a superhit. But, no, the critics, say, the first half is a little slow, the dialogues are a little drab, A R Rahman's background music is unimpressive, and there is no punch in Rajni's dialogue delivery. What crap! These are the same guys who will have names for a perfect piece of art like the Taj Mahal, too.

Like all his earlier films, Rajnikanth seeks to play the good samaritan to the core. And so, this NRI, who earns loads and loads of money, Rs 250 crore to be precise, wants to spend it on charity by constructing hospitals and educational institutions to offer quality education to the poor and the needy -- all for free.

But will the education mafia allow him to do that? Definitely, not. Because it will deal a deathly blow to their money making institutions. So headed by Suman, the godfather of the education mafia, they gang up to ensure that his plan is nipped in the bud. And how do they do it? With the help of politicians and the bureaucracy. Director Shankar, in his own unique style, exposes the corruption that is eating away the innards of our political system and lays bare the politician-bureaucrat nexus.

Shankar paints a realistic picture of how anyone who wants to do good in the society, however big or mighty he might be, without whetting the appetites of the ruling class, is bound to end up like paupers. It is only the blood-sucking, power-hungry, money-minded people who survive in the country. And this explains why the politician-bureaucrats-contractors nexus still rules the country. So, Rajnikanth too loses his all in his attempt to provide social infrastructure. Predictably, the interval follows.

How Rajnikanth picks up the gauntlet and gives the bad guys a taste of their own medicine is the crux of the remaining part of the story. And, once the curtains go up after the interval, the film picks up momentum with the Rajni's trademark quips, witty dialogues and his unique mannerisms. And director Shankar rivets our attention with gusto. And only a director of his calibre could have been able to pull off an impossible coup as Sivaji: The Boss.

The film has the right mix of entertainment with Shreya oozing the much-needed oomph to make the audiences go bonkers. She looks great and exudes an aura that will be remembered in the South Indian film circles for some time to come.

Like all his films, Rajnikanth has a too has a cool dialogue in Sivaji, too. And that is COOL. And when he says it in his typically naughty way to taunt the baddies, it is a sight to watch. The way Rajni plays on the chewing gum is hilarious and drives the fans crazy.

Rahman delivers a classy concoction and some of the songs, especially the one starring Nayanatara is bound to be popular.

A COOL movie to the core, if it sags in its enthusiasm, it is only because you are watching it with blinkers on: that is the expectations, I've been talking ablout. And if you go to watch Sivaji with such an attitude, you are bound to make it a miserable experience. Otherwise, it is a wonderful film by all standards. Don't miss it for anything in the world.

That guy Vivek will have you in splits. And when he is in Rajni's company, which he always is throughout the movie, it is a double treat. And for the critics, I have only one advice. Go take a walk!!

If you haven't watched Sivaji, watch the trailer at least, it is fun