Actor Pankaj Tripathi, best known for his work in films such as Gangs of Wasseypur and Nil Battey Sannata, makes his Tamil debut with superstar Rajinikanth’s Kaala. In the film, he plays a cop and will be seen supporting the system.
On landing an opportunity to work with Rajinikanth, he told Times of India, “I was curious to know how an actor can be so famous. If I did not sign up to do this film, I would have perhaps met him on set. But now that I am doing the film, I got to spend almost a month with him. Like everybody says, he is indeed down-to-earth. I consider Rajini to be my idol. Who would say no to working with their idol? One gets to learn a lot by just being on the set and observing him. His movements, expressions and skills are unique. Working with an actor of this stature has just been so enriching.”
In the film, being produced by Dhanush, the superstar plays a slum-lord-turned-gangster and he will be seen in a very powerful role. The film is tipped to be made as a Tamil-Hindi bilingual and will also be dubbed in Telugu. The project marks the reunion of director Pa. Ranjith with Rajinikanth after Kabali, and it is believed that Kaala revolves around the lives of oppressed Tamils in Mumbai and their fight for equality. Santhosh Narayanan is scoring the music, while national award-winning Sreekar Prasad will take care of editing. Nearly 70% of the shoot has already been completed.
Since the film has been mostly shot against the backdrop of Mumbai, the makers have decided to simultaneously shoot the film in Hindi. If not every scene, those featuring Rajinikanth and some key supporting cast will be shot in Hindi. Unlike Kabali, the film won’t be dubbed in Hindi, and Rajinikanth is expected to mouth his lines in Hindi and in Marathi at some key junctures. Besides starring Nana Patekar as a politician and Pankaj Tripathi as a cop, the film also features Anjali Patil and Samuthirakani.
(Content provided by Digital Native)