As far as phenomenon goes, there are few that compare to the ones that Rajinikanth evokes. A superstar who is worshipped in the Tamil film industry, Rajinikanth is respected and adored just as much up north. It is no surprise that actors across the country are dying to work with him. Among them is Anjali Patil.
The actress, who will be seen in the critically acclaimed festival favourite Newton, is also playing a vital part in Pa Ranjith's gangster drama set in Dharavi. Speaking to Cinestaan.com in an exclusive interview, Patil revealed that it was the phenomenon of Rajinikanth that drew her to the project.
"Sometimes you get a really good character, sometimes you get a good director, and sometimes it is the experience, like Kaala," she said.
While Patil has been praised for her natural ease in portraying women with a sense of independence and grit, she eschewed her acting display to play a very different character in the film. She admitted, "It was a Rajinikanth film, so I understand that this is not the film where I will be proving my acting mettle. For me it's important to be with Rajinikanth, and see him working as an experience."
Talking about the actor himself, Patil revealed that he is one person she could never tire of talking about. "Whenever I speak about Kaala, I never get tired of speaking about Rajinikanth. I would get tired of talking about myself, my character, my film. But whenever people talk about him, I never get tired. Because he is this source of energy somehow," she said.
The actress explained that the senior superstar still carried around him an energy that is immediately felt in his absence. She said, "Whenever he is around, there is celebration in the air. When he leaves the set, even when I don't know, I would ask 'has he left, because it feels like it'"
But this power and sense of confidence is not the reason why Rajinikanth is worshipped, believes Patil. The Newton actress said it was the star's humility that made him such an enigma. She said, "He is that enigma. He has that magical capacity in him, and as a human being, he is the nicest person I have met in these years of my acting career. He is really so nice and humble to make you believe in goodness and warmth. I used to think that whenever I show I am vulnerable, they would probably take it as a weakness. But when I see him, I just feel ok. "
Anjali Patil will soon be seen in Amit Masurkar's Newton, which releases on 22 September and Pa Ranjith's Kaala, which will be released early next year.