Rajinikanth: 2.0 will appeal to both global and Indian audiences

Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and the team of 2.0 have begun promoting their Republic Day week release 2.0.

The promotion began in Dubai where the actors spoke briefly at a press conference at the luxurious Burj al-Arab hotel. The music launch will happen tomorrow (27 October) with AR Rahman performing live.

All attention is on Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar, who have teamed up for the first time. Rajinikanth called 2.0 the most prestigious Indian film ever.

The emcee asked the superstar what it was like to be part of this film after so many years of stardom and delivering so many big hits. The humble actor kept his answer simple: "I have been in the industry for decades. So I’m grateful to god and the people for their love. I should be thankful to the producer Subaskaran and director Shankar for having me in what will be India’s most prestigious film, not just in India but also overseas." 

Akshay Kumar said: “It’s an honour to get beaten by Rajini sir. It’s different for me to play the anti-hero. Shankar is not a director but a scientist with a grand vision.”

Shankar pointed out that 2.0 is not an extension of his earlier film Enthiran (2010), which was released as Robot in Hindi: "It's a new film with a new format and a new message. But audiences will get to see their favourite characters from Enthiran. We have tried to convey a message which is global. Everyone will be able to connect with it.”

The music launch is slated to take place at the Burj Park in downtown Dubai. 

The buzz is that 2.0 will be India’s most expensive film so far with a budget of Rs400 crore. The film is set to be released on 25 January 2018. You can predict the film's box-office performance here.