Though
it isn’t set entirely in the film
world, this was too special not to include
– how could we not when it’s
the only film where the Superstar plays
himself in a movie? The story, for those
who may have forgotten it, is the tender
relationship between a dying orphan child
(Meena) and rising star Rajinikanth who
befriends her on a visit to the orphanage.
The child is petulant at first but slowly
warms to the star, writing him letters.
Rajini faithfully writes back. He takes
her to his shooting spots, and she (along
with us the audience), get a glimpse of
Rajini on the sets. It is rare for a star
to be as transparent as Rajinikanth is in
this movie.
It got us thinking about other Tamil stars
who’ve appeared (briefly) as themselves
in movies: Kamal walking off the sets of
Virumandi and into the last scenes of Nala
Damayanthi as himself, Nagesh repeatedly
saying, ‘That is Nagesh’ in
Thillu Mullu, and the kidnapped Simran asked
by villagers to shake her hips in Pithamagan.
Honourable mention: Shakeela as Shakeela
in Dhool! |
