Endhiran or Robot is creating already so many ‘first times’ in the history of Indian cinema. Not only does this Shankar direction bring together Southern superstar Rajinikanth and Aishwarya, it is also the biggest budget (reportedly 150 crores) film to be made in India. It is also the first time that any Indian film has gone all the way to Machu Pichu in Peru to shoot a song and dance sequence. In fact, Rajini has already compared this sci-fi thriller to Sholay, one of the cult movies that Bollywood can boast of.
To make sure Endhiran clicks with the audience even before the film hits theatres, the filmmakers have ensured that the film comprises of all the winning combinations possible. They have Oscar winning AR Rahman and Resul Pookutty on board and the music of the film has been a hit in India as well as the South-East. Though the global recession affected the earlier producers of the film, Sun Pictures headed by Kalanithi Maran immediately took over the reigns. It now appears like it was a wisely calculated move. In fact, everything seems to have been working great for this movie, with Shah Rukh Khan even parting with the film’s titles Robot that he had first registered with the Red Chillies.
Interestingly, though Rajini has himself admitted that super stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Kamal Hasan were earlier considered for the role of the scientist who makes a clone of himself in Endhiran, he credited destiny to be the reason behind him being a part of this magnum opus. In fact, he has also credited the directorial prowess of Shankar for being the reason behind him signing on the dotted line. Endhiran, it has been speculated, is also set to turn the year around for Bollywood that has mostly seen big flops this year.
In fact, it has been reported that Kalanithi Maran, grandnephew of Tamilnadu CM M Karunanidhi, is so resourceful through his film production unit that no one can match up to his publicity drive. Reportedly, most of the Tamil producers and distributors have turned reluctant to open their films in the two weeks leading up to Endhiran’s release. Working once again on Rajinikanth’s Shivaji formula – of going “big”, the film will be screened in 30 movie theatres in Chennai alone, and in almost 1,400 theatres all across Tamil Nadu.
The filmmakers have also gone all ahead in trying to make Endhiran a theatrical experience. The promos and film trailers have also been made to focus on the work by art director Sabu Cyril and action director Peter Hein adding to the razzle-dazzle. The stars also seem to be lucky for Endhiran with most of the publicity and news generated around it being quite positive, except on one occasion when a Delhi-based filmmaker accused the Endhiran camp of having stolen the film’s title Robot from him. While the matter has since hushed down, actor Aamir Khan has expressed his desire to watch this flick. The film has not only created hype in the heart of the film fraternity, but has roused the curiosity of the non-enthusiasts as well.
By Sujata Chakrabarti
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