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28 March 2024

Salman who? Superstar Rajinikanth spins into action with 'Kabali'

Rajinikanth's latest movie 'Kabali' will hit theatres on July 21 in UAE. (Supplied)

Published
By Bindu Rai

‘Salman Khan releases his movie on Eid because it is a holiday. Rajinikanth releases his movie and it becomes [a] holiday,” tweeted Joy Das.

The words of one fan echoes the sentiments of the legion of devotees that Superstar Rajinikanth commands, which has prompted companies in Chennai and Bangalore to declare a holiday on July 22 to brace for the ‘Kabali’ frenzy.

The Superstar’s latest action drama is already poised for a bumper run at the global box office, with near-sold out shows in UAE on Thursday, when ‘Kabali’ releases across screens post 6pm.

The state of affairs on Friday follows in similar fashion across Dubai screens, with only the first few rows still up for grabs at noon on Wednesday.

The Tamil film, which will be screened here with Arabic and English subtitles, will mark the return of the Superstar at what he does best – beating up bad guys with gravity defying stunts that look so dope that even Hollywood’s style icons could be put to shame.

With at least 150 movies to his credit and India’s highest civilian order of the Padma Bhushan on his mantle, the Superstar has wowed millions with his stylised actions that have prompted many a fan to declare his birthday, December 12, as ‘World Style Day’ in Rajinikanth’s name.

Over the span of his career, India’s answer to Chuck Norris has managed to stop a speeding bullet with his bare hands, out-run a bullet train, somersaulted seven times through the air to land on his feet, climbed walls with his bare hands, stopped a dagger with his bare teeth and lit a cigarette by shooting lasers from eyes.

That last one even makes it to our list of top Rajinikant on-screen moments.

If others attempted such stunts, they would have been laughed out of the cinematic spotlight, but in the case of Rajinikanth, another temple is built in his honour.

What makes the Superstar a darling of the masses? The Emirates 24|7 puts to rest any argument with three of the best scenes from the Rajinikanth’s heydays.

1. Superstar rewrites Newton’s Law of Gravity

A man flies through the air, crashing through a car’s windshield and smashes through the window in the back. All we see first is a lone shoe, could it be Nike we wonder?

Possibly Adidas, says another, perhaps even inspiring the brand’s famous tagline, ‘Impossible is Nothing’.

But clearly, impossible is not a word that exists in the dictionary of the man whose foot is encased in that trainer. Did we mention he is Superstar Rajinikanth?

A chewing gum flies plops faithfully into his mouth, a mini cyclone is conjured by the mere twirling of his toe and goons fly through the air performing somersaults that would make a trapeze artiste proud.

Which movie is this? Who cares. But if you must know, this is 'Chandramukhi' that showcases Rajinikanth at his best!

2. Superstar redefines The Matrix

The film is ‘Sivaji – The Boss’; the premise is its climax. The weapons of choice are Samurai swords and battleaxes.

Oh boy! This is going to get ugly very fast.

With billions of rupees raining down from the sky, an angered Rajinikanth leaps, flies, dances and spins in a circle while airborne, as he takes out baddie after baddie with his action adventure on a rooftop.

Did we mention its raining billions? Indeed, in his bald eagle avatar and a trenchcoat to boot, Rajni Sir takes on a lungi-clad head honcho while hanging upside down from a metal beam, wielding battleaxes and leaving dead bodies in his wake.

Seeing is believing we tell you.

3. Move over Stallone; Superstar is the new Demolition Man

The scene opens with the Superstar’s one-man army packing enough gear that would put even Sylvester Stallone’s turn in ‘Demolition Man’ to shame.

But wait a minute. That sub-automatic machine gun that Rajinikanth just pivoted with is shunned in the very next scene, as he decides to throw a Googly that would leave some of cricketing world’s top bowlers hanging their heads in defeat.

Grenades come flying, and our Superstar leapfrogs and swoops, catching them in gravity-defying positions but ever so gently, so they, you know, they don’t explode in between his nimble fingers.

The baddies squeal in fear as those very grenades are now flung back at them with zeal as they are blown to smithereens.

Who cares what movie this is, because this is Superstar in the raw. Plus, there’s a bonus scene in this showreel that clearly show what can happen if Rajinikanth focuses his laser eyeballs at you.