Proud to have directed Petta: Karthik Subbaraj

Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj, who wears his Rajinikanth fandom on his sleeve, says he is proud to have directed Tamil actioner Petta as a die-hard superstar Rajinikanth fanboy.Having made a mark with films such as Pizza, Jigarthanda and Iraivi, Subbaraj has joined hands with Rajinikanth for the first time in Petta, which released yesterday in Tamil, with the Hindi version set to release today.The film has been extensively shot in Uttar Pradesh, in places like Varanasi and Lucknow.Every promo of Petta so far has clearly indicated that it’s a film made by a true-blue Rajinikanth fan, one who wants to pay rich tribute to the superstar of 1990s.“I grew up idolising Rajinikanth and I’ve always wanted to see him in a certain way. When I knew I was going to write for Rajini sir, I wanted to show him in the most stylish way and bring back his mannerisms and machismo,” Subbaraj told IANS.While there’s no denying Petta will be Subbaraj’s love letter to his matinee idol, he points out that it will have a healthy mix of his sensibilities and popular Rajinikanth tropes.“The film has a mix of both our sensibilities. Rajini sir gave me an opportunity to work with him because he liked my work, especially my style of narration and dialogues. Now, I can’t go out and make something very different just to please him. He wanted me to make Petta the way I want it and with my sensibilities intact,” he said, adding that the film also has everything a Rajinikanth fan wants to see.If the promos are anything to go by, one can be assured that Rajinikanth’s fans are in for a treat. Subbaraj says audiences will see a happier, chirpier version of Rajinikanth as Kaali, in the role of a hostel warden.Asked if he tried to consciously break Rajinikanth’s recent stint of dark characters, Subbaraj said: “As stories, Rajini sir’s recent films such as Kabali and Kaala were dark. Therefore, his characters were also dark. The story decides the nature of a character.”“When I thought of writing for Rajini sir, I told myself it will be a really cool character with a very happy-go-lucky attitude. We took such a character and placed him in a strong story and I believe, as a combination, it has worked wonders. Rajini sir thoroughly enjoyed doing comedy and romance,” he added.Petta stars an ensemble cast of Trisha, Simran Bagga, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vijay Sethupathi, Sasikumar, Bobby Simhaa, Malavika Mohanan and Megha Akash, among others. – IANS