Even before his Sivaji lost its luster at the box office, rumors of Superstar Rajinikanth's next project swarmed the media. His meetings with Mani and later with Kamal created a furor in the media over the possibility of a magnum opus with the three titans joining forces. Rajini was expected to star in the film, produced by Kamal (he may even do a possible guest role) and directed by Mani.
Though none of them officially confirmed the story, they didn't deny meeting each other either.
Anything and everything to do with biggies Rajini, Kamal and Mani, is breaking news and so was this one too, topping most coffee table conversations.
However, as an anticlimax, the Superstar recently went on record to deny his prospective plans of working with Mani or Kamal. "I haven't decided on my future projects yet and rumors about my association with Mani Ratnam or Kamal are not factual," the Superstar spelled out. That left few million fans heart broken.
In retrospect, Rajini and Mani might have lost out on a golden opportunity.
The last time they came together was for “Thalapathy” in 1991.It was a contemporary version of the story of Karna taken from the Mahabharata. Mani presented a very mellow and sensitive Rajinikanth, sans his usual mannerisms and histrionics. We saw Rajini the “actor”, rather than Rajini the “phenomenon”. Rajinikanth delivered a stellar performance (one of his best to date) in spite of a stalwart like Mamooty performing alongside him.
Some critical reasons as to why Mani and Rajini should join forces after sixteen years:
• They both possess a tremendous fan following all over the world, arguably the biggest for an actor and director respectively. Expectations will be sky high, giving the trade the biggest opening possible.
• They are internationally acclaimed doyens of Tamil cinema, capable of creating the largest platform ever to market an Indian movie overseas.
• Rajini is renowned for his larger-than–life roles, and Mani is a director who thrives on scripting such characters, with his pragmatic and minimalistic approach, be it Velu Nayakar of “Nayagan” or Gurubhai of “Guru”. It will be a match made in heaven!
• It would be a true challenge for both Mani and Rajini, driving them to deliver their personal best. We can expect nothing short of excellence and perfection in every department.
• Mani is capable of bringing out the best in any actor and Rajini is a director’s delight, surrendering himself completely to a director he trusts, making it a lethal combination.
• The present day audience is mature, refined and has an appetite for tasteful and innovative cinema. Rajinikanth in a Mani Ratnam movie is the best they can ask for.
A solid story lays the foundation for a successful film and hence to take our argument to the next level, we also compiled a list of scripts that might work for this talented duo:
Script 1: The safest bet - A cinematic memoir, based on a powerful and charismatic real - life personality in tandem with the Superstar’s image, this would be like performing on home ground for both of them.
Script 2: There was a serious consideration a few years ago by Mani Ratnam to cast Rajinikanth in a movie a la James bond style. It was supposed to be called “Ragasiya Police”. This project, for reasons unknown never materialized and was ultimately shelved. This script could be revived with a contemporary feel, as a romantic suspense thriller, based on the life of a secret service agent who has taken on the mission of annihilating a powerful enemy.
Script 3: Mani being the master political director, and his fan fraternity ever aspiring for him to foray into politics, Rajinikanth as an enigmatic, political celebrity, who brings about changes to the system, would be a treat for all his admirers.
Script 4: A superhero in a sci-fi thriller, on the lines of Spiderman or Superman would have his tiny tot fans go wild with delight. This would also be a visual extravaganza for all Rajini addicts, who already envision him as a champion of the masses.
Script 5: Now for the nonconformists, a simple, sweet and lucid story about family, relationships and love featuring Rajini in a completely different avatar, of a loving father or a devoted husband, complementing his age and experience with some magical music, will definitely be a breath of fresh air to all Rajini buffs.
After all, isn’t the Superstar a doting father and a caring husband in real life too? One would need immense courage to craft such a radically different movie after “Sivaji”, but then, doesn’t fortune favor the brave?
Their union, if it had materialized would have undoubtedly been one of most incredible things to have happened to Tamil cinema or perhaps Indian cinema in recent times. Let us hope for the best. Who knows what the future holds, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE, right?!
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http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-articles/movies-06/06-10-07-rajini-mani.html
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