The actor drove to Thackeray's residence at 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra and sought the Sena chief's blessings.
The ‘Robot’ met the ‘boss’ — the Shiv Sena chief that is — in Mumbai on Tuesday, and it was a happy burst of bonhomie and smiles all along.
Southern megastar Rajinikanth, basking in the stupendous success of his latest film Robot — Endhiran in Tamil — visited Bal Thackeray’s residence Matoshree in Bandra in the afternoon and had the Thackeray family enthralled for half an hour.
Dressed in a formal shirt and blue denims, the actor was far removed from his flamboyant screen persona as he presented a bouquet to Thackeray. The demigod of Tamil cinema was oblivious to security worries and was accompanied only by his personal secretary.
“He was so polite and so down-to-earth. He was far from his larger-than-life screen image,” gushed an overwhelmed witness.
To reciprocate the gesture, the Sena chief changed his afternoon schedule for the high-profile visitor. This had never happened before, according to sources close to the Thackeray family.
Rajinikanth has strong Maharashtrian connections as he originally belongs to Belgaum and was Shivaji Gaikwad before becoming famous with his screen name. A good Marathi speaker, he had visited Matoshree 10 years ago.
Rajini invited Thackeray for a special screening of his film and to a visit of Chennai. He also expressed his willingness to act in a Marathi film.
“He (Bal Thackeray) likes Rajini’s movies, and, Rajini, too, respects him very much. That is why the actor never misses a chance to meet the Sena chief whenever he is in Mumbai,” said a source.
The conversation between Rajinikanth and Thackeray revolved around tid-bits about Robot and his past experience in the film industry.
The Sena chief was curious to know how he managed the stunts and the shooting schedules at the age of 62.
Rajini replied with a broad smile.
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