Robot with Rajni?!
Rumors about Shankar's Robot have been circulating for a long time now. Supposed to be Shankar's dream project, it was touted to be an expensive, sci-fi film that would take Tamil cinema to the next level. I think the first time I heard about the movie was before Anniyan, as Shankar was looking for a project that would erase memories of the Boys debacle. He has since made 2 movies but Robot has never really been out of the news.
The hero of Robot is ofcourse the most-talked about aspect and quite a few big actors have been associated with it at one point or another. I think the project was first supposed to star Kamal but then Vikram's name popped up for a while. The project then moved to Bollywood since it was supposed to be so expensive that it needed a national - rather than a regional - hero to have any chance of making money. Hrithik Roshan was mentioned first but after that, the project seemed finalized as Shah Rukh Khan signed for a dual role - acting and producing. He even talked about it as an upcoming project in one of his pre-Chak De India! interviews. But then it was unceremoniously dropped with the reason being the ever-popular, vague "creative differences". After a few reports about Aamir Khan being approached, news about the film moved south again as the next rumor had Ajith teaming up with Shankar for the film.
Suddenly, Rediff has dropped a bombshell by saying that Shankar has signed on Rajnikanth for Robot. The news item talks about a Mumbai production house backing the film, which would have a higher budget than even Sivaji and would be the most expensive Indian film ever.
Though the fact that it is Rediff publishing this news has prevented me from shoving it aside as just another rumor, I have my own doubts about this news. The story(according to Rediff, it is about "a maverick scientist who creates a robot and later runs into trouble with his pet creation") which seems like a futuristic take on Frankenstein, doesn't seem like Rajni material at all. Considering Sivaji's success, any film with Shankar and Rajni would likely have mega-expectations and mega-money on it and I don't think either of them will jeopardize that by casting Rajni in a non-traditional role. Rajni himself was supposed to considering scripts from K.S.Ravikumar and Murugadoss for his next film and his doing back-to-back films with Shankar wasn't mentioned at all.
None of the other websites have anything on this yet. So for now, all we can do is wait and watch...
Balaji's Thots... [Permalink]
Your Thots (15)
15 Comments:
i remembered that shankar wanted to make "Robo" way back in year 2000 itself. Kamal was suppose to do but got busy with "Alavandhan". Even Preity zinta and Aiswary rai was finalized for the film.Preity even mentioned that one time in a filmfare interview.
Read this script..its dated now..thats why Kamal sir rejected it..srk wud have also said something bad abt shankars ideas..i dont think shankar is capable to give a classy film..he will spoil it more with his direction..
Me too thinks the same, Balaji. Thalaivar in a scientist role ellaam nallaa irukkaadhu. And that too coming after The Boss, would be a huge misfit. Like everyone is saying, it should either be Murugadoss or the ever-reliable KSR. Thalaivaa, seekkiram adutha padatha announce pannunga!!!
ROBO was supposed to happen (before AI) around 2000 with Kamal-sir playing the lead. Even the photo-shoot was done with Kamal-sir and Preity Zinda(I don't know whether you have seen some of the pictures that were published in AV by writer Sujatha in "KaRRathum PeRRathum" section. Kamal-sir marhped into). Sujatha said if it had happened it would have been an excellent film! When Shankar signed Vikram for Anniyan, the press just thought he is going to do ROBO with him - which shankar in an interview told that ROBO could be done only with Kamal!
Me too was surpirsed at the news in rediff. Maybe, some good sense prevailed on Rajni and decided to break from the rut he (and his fans) dug for him and come out with an intelligent entertainer! Way to go, Rajni-sir - if the news is true!!
Striking when the iron is hot? As you said, he has to be typecast to make a hit.
Talking of Rajini, anybody catch the trailer for the 3d animated movie sultan the warrior? Don't remember where I saw it, but it looked quite promising. And the 3d rajini moved much faster than the boss.
Happy new year to all you folks!
Lol, I've been tracking Robo for nearly 2 years now, here's the chronology of events. Hope you find it useful!
1999: Originally titled 'NASA' then 'Robo', Shankar planned to start this after mudhalvan happened, with the backing of the Jeans producer Ashok Amritaj.
early 2000: Kamal Haasan and Preity Zinta signed up, and yes Preity did confirm it. Didn't start.
late 2000: Kamal wanted to concentrate on 'Marudha Nayagam'. Preity had other offers. Shankar did Nayak in Hindi
2004: Rumors indicated that Anniyan was indeed Robo. However Shankar denied.
March 2007: Speculation that Shankar was gonna do a Telugu film with either Chiranjeevi or Mahesh Babu. Never happened.
May 2007: 'Robot' was announced with Ajith unofficially in mags with K.V. Anand as cameraman and Yuvan as music. Ajith denied it, but sed it sounded interesting.
Jun 2007: Hrithik Roshan approached. He says no.
Jul 2007: Shankar signs up SRK. Project delayed while script is confirmed.
Aug 2007: Divya Spandana (Kuthu ramya) approaches Shankr for role he rejects.
Oct 2007: SRK quits citing differences
Nov/Dec 2007: Names of Vikram, Ajith, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan and even Vijay [!] are linked to the role. Only Aamir Khan says he is interested.
Jan 2008: Rediff reports Superstar in Robot. No comments from any official party.
I think Rajni can do the scientist role.. Many ppl wondered how he would fare as NRI in Sivaji ..
To everyone's astonishment, Rajni pulled it through.
Parthiban G.
balaji, i hope you don't come after me for posting this........!
Once, Newton came to India and watched a few Tamil movies
that had his head spinning. He was convinced that all his logic and laws in physics
were just a huge pile of junk and apologized for everything he had done.
In the movie of Rajanikanth, Newton was confused to such an
extent that he went paranoid. Here are a few scenes
..................................
1) Rajanikanth has a Brain Tumor which, according to the
doctors can't be cured and his death is imminent.In one of the fights, our great
Rajanikanth is shot in the head. To everybody's surprise, the bullet passes
through his ears taking away the tumor along with it and he is cured! Long
Live Rajanikanth!!!
2) In another movie, Rajanikanth is confronted with 3 gangsters.
Rajanikanth has a gun but unfortunately only one bullet and a
knife. Guess, what he does? He throws the knife at the middle gangster? &
shoots the bullet towards the knife. The knife cuts the bullet into 2
pieces, which kills both the gangsters on each side of the middle gangster & the
knife kills the middle one.
3) Rajanikanth is chased by a gangster. Rajanikanth has a revolver but
no bullets in it. Guess, what he does. Nah? not even in your remotest
imaginations.
He waits for the gangster to shoot. As soon as the gangster
shoots, Rajanikanth opens the bullet compartment of his revolver and catches the
bullet. Then, he closes the bullet compartment and fires his gun. Bang...
the gangster dies...
This was too much for our Newton to take! He was completely shaken and
decided to go back. But he happened to see another movie for one last
time, and thought that at least one movie would follow his theory of
physics.The whole movie goes fine and Newton is happy that all in the
world hasn't changed. Oops, not so fast!
The 'climax' finally arrives. Rajanikanth gets to know that the villain is on the
other side of a very high wall. So high that Rajanikanth can't jump even
if he tries like one of those superman techniques that our heroes normally
use. Rajanikanth has to desperately kill the villain because it's the climax.
(Newton Bhai is smiling since it is virtually impossible?)
Rajanikanth suddenly pulls two guns from his pockets. He
throws one gun in the air and when the gun has reached above
the height of the wall, he uses the second gun and shoots at the
trigger of the first gun in air. The first gun fires off and the villain is dead.
Newton commits suicide...........
Rajni is like Sean connery. Even at sixties he has the grace :))
He can do!
LOL, hysterical stuff bro! For better effect replace Rajni with Vijaykanth and everything will make perfect & absolute Tamil filmy sense ...
skanda, oh i didnt know it went fwd that much :)
xxx, but he does manage to make them hits :)
filbert, i'd take murugadoss over KSR though :)
apala, i certainly dont remember seeing those fotos. time to google :)
munimma, they showed it b4 'sivaji'. looked pretty cool :) happy new year to u too :)
prin, wow that was an impressive chronology. and i thot i had listed its full history!
parthiban, yeah he may carry off the role. but i had my doubts about the whole story and how he'd fit into it :)
karthik, i remember seeing a cartoon with some of those ideas. and the bullet cutting was in some ad i think :)
srikanth, lets hope so :)
news confirmed..........
http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=14585005
i'm not too excited to hear that Shankar wants to do "Robot" with Rajini. The director must be out of his mind for doing that. rajni has a 'mass' image and these kind of subject may not find real acceptance among his fans. I would have been happier if Kamalahasan or vikram choosed to do these film as i'm sure they would give a power packed performance and also the role suits them to the "T"
Remember the INDIAN song sequence -where Kamal appears with Urmila in a vairety of outfits, and one of them has him in a ridiculous looking space-outfit, with a leashed up dog for added effect - that might have triggered the ROBO idea in Shankar. A Post-INDIAN Kamal may have fitted that role perfectly, but now may seem a little out of sorts for the 53 year old. A better choice would be Vikram; make that only choice.
The news is already confirmed .. Rajini is the ROBOT
- http://picsfoo.blogspot.com
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