Setting a new trend

Is it a cartoon film? Or an animated movie? Or a typical Rajinikanth flick, in which the Superstar will be seen in live action? Anxious fans are raising these questions, even as Kochadaiiyaan is getting ready to hit the screens.

The film’s music has been launched. The trailer is out. The film’s director Soundarya Rajinikanth Ashwin (the Superstar’s younger daughter), and others connected to Kochadaiiyaan have spoken in length about the movie. But still, there is no stopping to guessing games.

“A Rajinikanth movie always creates a huge buzz. Kochadaiiyaan is India’s first movie to be made using performance capture technology, in 3D. It means the actors’ performance has been captured in the camera and enhanced later using technology. Films like Avatar and Tin Tin were made on this platform. We are introducing it to India,” says Dr Murali Manohar, one of the producers of Kochadaiiyaan.

Tech prowess

He, however, points out that the film has been made with a fraction of the budget of Avatar and Tin Tin. “Not just that, those films took several years to complete. But we were done with Kochadaiiyaan in just a couple of years. This is all because of Rajini, Soundarya and her team.”

A R Rahman, who has composed music for Kochadaiiyaan, says this is a different attempt and people should support it. “When Soundarya approached me with the idea, I was quite thrilled since something like this was not tried in India before. The film has come out well and am sure everyone will like it,” says the Oscar-Grammy winner.

Rahman has composed more than a dozen songs for Kochadaiiyaan and his background score is said to be one of the highlights of the film. Apart from Rahman, Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty was also roped in for the film. “Soundarya gave me a lot of freedom and Kochadaiiyaan is no ordinary film. It will be a totally different experience and people should come to theatres to realise the enthralling effect of this new technology.”

The film also stars Bollywood’s top actress Deepika Padukone. The actress is proud to be a part of this novel attempt and happy that she has worked with Rajinikanth, the numero uno star in the south. “Rajini sir made me feel at home. He treated me like his daughter. And I must say Soundarya is a talented filmmaker.”

Actor Aadhi of Mirugam and Eeram fame has done a crucial role in the film. He says, “I was quite nervous to work with Rajini sir. But he made me feel at ease on the first day itself. I shot for six days and it was a great learning experience. People tend to be wary of anything new. Even in case of talkie movies and silent flicks, audience had its doubts. But see how things have changed now. Similarly, Kochadaiiyaan will be a trendsetter in every way.”

Calling the shots

Finally, the captain of the ship, Soundarya, is heaving a sigh of relief as the film nears its release date. “At last, we have pulled it off. Fans will see appa in full vim and vigour in Kochadaiiyaan. It is a typical Rajini film and is even more than that. I can’t wait for the first day first show.”

Revealing some secrets about the film, the filmmaker says, “Appa will be seen in three roles. All three will wow fans.” When asked whether one of them is a negative role, Soundarya replies with a smile. “Well, that is suspense,” she adds.

Rajini, who started his career with black and white films, was a part of the Eastman colour transformation. He then acted in colour films which were equipped with technologies like DTS and Dolby. And now, he is the first star in India to play the lead role in a performance capture technology (3D) film.

“I am not going to talk much about Kochadaiiyaan now, as I am saving my words for the success celebrations of the film. Soundarya and her team have done a great job and the output is superb. I laughed out loud when Soundarya said ‘action’ on the first day of the shoot. Also, I felt shy to act in romantic scenes in front of my daughter. Kochadaiiiyan is my tribute to my fans. I know they will love it,” he says.