He is god down south but for actor Rajnikanth, screen legend Amitabh Bachchan is a "role model", "inspiration" and "guru".
The music launch of the country's costliest film Robot saw two icons of the Indian film industry - Amitabh Bachchan and Rajnikanth - share the dais after over a decade.
The two shared screen space in Hum in the early 90s and three years ago Rajnikanth had flown down to Mumbai for a private screening of his Sivaji-The Boss for the Bollywood megastar.
On the occasion, Rajnikanth said, "He (Amitabh) is my inspiration, role model and guru. I have always valued his advise while taking important decisions."
"We have done films like Andha Kanoon, Giraftar, Hum, and I can never forget the love, affection and care he showered on me," he added.
Responding to Rajni's comments, Bachchan said the 60-year-old southern star was a true son-of-the-soil.
"I had a long association with Rajni and value him as a friend and colleague. He is truly a son-of-the soil who is admired and loved by every Indian," he said.
"I admire him because of his tender heart and humility. He is so grounded despite the adulation and fame he has enjoyed throughout his career. Given his humble beginning, Rajni is an example of every Indian. His simplicity, honesty, and down-to-the-earth nature has always impressed me," he added.
The high profile event in Mumbai last night saw the presence of the entire Bachchan clan, including Jaya and Abhishek, along with several other filmmakers.
Robot -- produced by Sun Pictures, directed by Shankar and starring Rajnikanth and Bachchan's daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai -- is slated for a September release. Bollywood baddie Danny will be seen in a negative role in the movie.
The film is originally in Tamil, called Endhiran, and will also be released in Hindi and Telugu.
The music launch of the Tamil version was held in Malaysia recently, while that of the Telugu version was launched in Hyderabad last week in the presence of Chiranjeevi.
On Robot, Rajnikant said though he had worked with director Shankar in Sivajitoo, this role was "tough and challenging".
"Kamal Hassan and Shah Rukh Khan were approached for this role. But I do not know what happened. 'Dane Dane pe likha hai khane wale ka nam' (May be I was destined to get it)," the actor said.
The film's budget is about Rs150-160 crore as it is technically very superior, he said.
Aishwarya said Robot was a landmark film in cinematic experience.
"My previous film Jeans with Shankar was ahead of its time but I felt enriched as an artist very early in my career. Robot was a similar experience," she said, adding that it was humbling to have shared screen space with Rajnikanth.
Director Shankar said his latest venture should not be seen as a Tamil, Telugu or Hindi film, but as an Indian movie as it brings together creative talent from all parts of the country as well as Hollywood.
Robot is an attempt from India to create a larger than life experience as seen in Hollywood films like 2012, Terminator and Spiderman, he said.
"The story is about what happens when the robot mixes with human beings because he has learnt every thing except a man's lies, jealousy, and betrayal," Shankar said.
Producer Kalanithi Maran said the subject of Robot was close to Shankar's heart and Rajnikanth had put his heart and soul into the project.
Music director AR Rahman said Robot was a sci-fi movie with organic integration to Indian culture.
"It is a Tamil movie, so we had to work hard to satisfy the Hindi audience," he said.
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