Drill made of a hundred Rajinikanth Robots

There were many versions made in the pre-visualization stage of the scene where in the army of robots forms a drill that goes underground to emerge as one massive robot. Frankie Chung, a VFX supervisor from Hong Kong, who has Kung Fu Hustle and Kill Bill to his credit, helped the team execute this climatic sequence. The dust particles added in the shot where the drill starts rotating blended very well with the CGI and live action layers.

The most challenging scene

Besides the climax sequence which proved to be the most challenging sequence, Srinivas the vfx supervisor of the film emphasizes on executing the dual role scene played by Rajinikanth' characters Dr. Vaseegaran and the robot Chitti. Instead of using a motion control rig which is usually used to film dual role sequences that have movement, Srinivas used a regular trolley track, super 35mm film and rhythmic beep sounds. During post production both layer movements were matched using tracking software. Because of elaborate setup process of motion control rig, it would've taken an astounding five years to shoot the entire film. The motion control rig was used for a mere 10 days to film the complicated multiple character shots.

The climax

The climax sequence was the most challenging shot for the vfx team as Srinivas points out that there are no real characters in the scene. "Using CGI has its own draw backs," says Srinivas. The main challenge was in balancing the fine line between imagination and realism. The scene was for the audiences to accept.

To get a detailed 3D model of Rajinikanth's character Chitti, Srinivas used an innovative new technology called the Doom Light Stage invented by scientist Paul Debevec at the University of California at Berkeley. This invention captures the actor's face from every possible lighting direction. From the captured data, specialized algorithms create realistic virtual renditions of the actor in the illumination of any location or set, reproducing colour, texture, shine, shading and translucency of the actor's skin. The innovation has been used in Spiderman, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Avatar and the fourth being Robot.

The equipment consists of a dome with around 80 to 90 lights around it. Rajinikanth was made to sit in this dome while his face got scanned from all possible light angles. Since the robot Chitti had a silicon mask of Rajinikanth on its face an extra coating was required to be added on Rajinikanth' face. For the Lightstage team, this was a new experience since fine tuning while scanning was complicated. Different scans with and without make up were taken. The final output churned out a high detailed rendition of his face; one wouldn't be able to tell if it was CGI. This sequence in its own took an unbelievable two years to accomplish.

Peter Hein, the action coordinator, assisted the team in this scene. Rajinikanth was literally on the track in the shot where he gets back on the train. The actor was strapped to a harness for support and legs were replaced with wheels and his hands were replaced since a rig was used in its execution.

The logistics and filming equipment was put in an open bogey while shooting this sequence. The legs, hands and the bag were replaced with CGI components in post-production which worked out seamlessly. A stuntman was used in the wide shots on top of the train where the actor is running. The stuntman's head was replaced with Rajinikanth's head in post, but most of the work was done by Rajinikanth himself.

Yes, Rajinikanth is magnetic indeed

The team placed 3D trackers on Rajinikanth's body for executing the magnetic sequence. This is used to match the movements of CGI elements with live action. For the close-up shots, Srinivas avoided using CGI elements since the production unit got the biggest asset from Stanwinston studios with animatronics. So in the close up, all the metal objects and ornaments that were seen on Rajinikanth' body was in fact shot live using the puppet.

Although the animatronic puppet was blended with CGI shots that were made, the vfx team utilized maximum amount of lights in the close-up shots to match up with the CGI wide shots of the Rajinikanth. Different layers were shot with the elements, in the live action layer, the team physically placed the metal objects around in the scene to match the CGI shot when Rajni's character deactivates the magnet and the objects fall to the ground. For Srinivas the execution was simple because the concept was new.

Rajinikanth battles thugs in the train

For the train sequence, Srinivas and Shankar took up this particular scene in the test to get a better perspective of the look and feel of the shots. With the pre-production in place and meticulous planning of the visual effects break down, the team had creative freedom in executing this scene.

Although midway, due to global recession and some constraints the team couldn't continue with the production company they were working with, the project changed hands when Kalanidhi Maran of Sun pictures took over the venture. Srinivas approached some notable companies from Hollywood such as ILM, Café FX and a few others who were excited and happy with the fresh content they we were churning out, but due to the fixed budget, the visual effects in the scene were done mainly in India and Hong Kong. Apart from Stanwinston' animatronics, none of the American companies were used to execute the visual effects and CGI work for the film.

In the first fifteen minutes of the film, the audiences learn that the robot is made up of many components inside. For Srinivas, the vfx supervisor, one of the biggest challenges was the transition scene where Dr. Vaseegaran played by Rajinikanth puts on the silicon mask on the robot while the machine was singing. This shot is immensely crucial for the film to succeed. If the transition process didn't go well, then the entire credibility of the film would go off. This 19 second shot took an astounding three months to create.

Retaining Rajinikanth' youth

To preserve Rajinikanth's youth in the film, a combination of both make up and visual effects played an important part, touch ups were done where it deemed necessary for the team. But Srinivas emphasizes the fact that Rajinikanth's charisma played a big part in bringing his character of Chitti to life.

Checkout: Rajinikanth's metamorphosis into Robot: Part-II

With its massive box-office collections, Robot is still making waves well into its third week. Shooting at exotic locations like Machu Picchu and with a budget of a hundred and fifty crores, Robot boasts of being one of the most expensive films churned out from India. With its colossal success the film makes its break in the evolution of filmmaking in India.

The film revolves around Dr. Vaseegaran played by Rajinikanth who invents a High-end robot named Chitti, a mirror of his own image. The scientific body, AIRD, declines the approval of the robot stating that it does not have emotions and the ability to make rational judgment. An unexpected flash of lightning induces emotions in the robot, and Chitti is geared up for its integration into the human world. Chitti then falls in love with Dr. Vaseegaran' fiancee Sana played by Aishwarya Rai and goes against his creator.

In this second part series Bollywood Hungama delves in deeper with the visual effects behind the film to unveil the magnetism behind Rajinikanth in Robot.

Amalgamating Rajinikanth and the robot Chitti

Srinivas points out that although Rajinikanth was acting, the audiences perceived that he was a robot indeed. The fictional script was designed by the director with this notion in mind. In Hollywood, filmmakers shoot one scene where they insert a part of a droid and the rest of the film is based on the plot. But in India it's a different situation all together, so in order to sell the idea to the audiences, the director decided to portray the story parts with all the details in tow.

ENDHIRAN IN 3D

The success of Endhiran has reportedly prompted Sun Pictures to dub the film in English. Apparently, the producers want to make it a hit among the international audiences too. And in this effort, they have decided to add a few 3D effect scenes.

A 7-minute 3D effect scene was made for Endhiran but this was not included in the movie. Now, there are reports that the producers are contemplating on adding these sequences in the Tamil, Telugu and Hindi versions.

With Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai being popular international faces, Endhiran’s English version is sure to reach out to the audience.

ENDHIRAN'S GRIP STILL TIGHT

Endhiran's grip at the box-office has not eased one bit. With the ticket prices being reduced for the first time after its release, it is time for Rajini fans to celebrate again. This is evident from the long queues which can still be seen in movie halls. The reduction in prices is also inviting families to watch the movie in theaters instead of watching it in pirated DVDs. Major corporates have also booked shows for their employees.

The high point of Endhiran's success was seen last weekend. More than four movies got released to try their luck at the box office and none of them could see decent returns. Trade pundits are worried if this is a good trend. Some feel that this trend is good as movies like Endhiran will make way for quality movies in the future. They also feel that Endhiran will continue to rule the box office for the next two weeks.

Animatronics

Animatronics is mostly used in filmmaking and other avenues of entertainment. It is basically electronic puppetry that simulates real life in front of a camera. This technology is used in a large number of films in the west. Srinivas insisted in using this unique innovation for Robot based on the visual effects break down that was made for the film.

He approached Legacy Effects formerly known as Stan Winston Studios in LA, to assist in the making of the film. The American studio worked in movies like Terminator: Salvation, Avatar, Alice In Wonderland etc. Srinivas points out that they utilized electronic puppetry in place of the actor for its realism. The scene where Rajinikanth places the eye on the robot was all executed by Legacy Effects. They also assisted in special make up that was required for Rajinikanth.

(Stay tuned for part two of Rajinikanth Amalgamation into Chitti)

The opening shot of the film

The opening shot of the film where-in the robot gets assembled and the credits of the film are rolling weren't decided in the script initially. Instead of the animation sequence seen in the film, the makers had initially thought of using live action for the introduction sequence. This didn't go well for an opening shot. With this in mind, Srinivas consulted the director and suggested using an animation of the robot getting assembled in the scene.

He points out that this was a last minute decision which worked in their favor. Pre-visualization and implementation of the animation was done in a week. Pixion in Chennai did the opening credits and animation for the opening scene.

After the test

Shankar did the shot division of the script which he handed over to the supervisor for pre-visualization. With the pre-visualization sorted out, Srinivas who headed the visual effects team did the entire VFX breakdown of the film. With this the team had more clarity in terms of execution and knowledge of the different layers that consisted of live action, CGI and animatronics. Based on the breakdown, Srinivas started hunting for appropriate artists and talent they needed for the film.

Director of Photography

The D.O.P, R.Rathnavelu was instrumental in the pre-production stage; he helped Srinivas and the director in blocking the different camera angles that were required. This clarified what was needed in all the different layers involved in the shots. With his tremendous knowledge in visual effects, Rathnavelu pointed out the constraints in executing the shots in terms of lighting and other technicalities.

Maya, an academy award winning software was used to create a digital set based on the script. Layouts of the train and characters were made using the software, although the team didn't finalize any locations during the test, they used actual physical proportions of a real train. Once the director approved of the layouts, basic actions of the scene were carried out.

Srinivas along with the director and the director of photography blocked the camera angles for the scene using the software. Each shot had 2 to 3 versions of camera angles made to get a better view of the sequence. With the digital shots in place, temporary clips better known as 'playblasts' were extracted from the software to view the shots they made in real time. With these clips in hand, Anthony - the editor, was required to line up these clips according to the scene. This gave the team some room in improvising the shots that were made. Utilizing this method, the team planned out 40 crucial visual effects scenes of the film.

nitiating pre-production

Shankar the director called up Srinivas in the winter of 2007 and narrated the entire story to him for over four hours. Amazed and excited about the project since nothing of this nature was undertaken by any filmmaker in India before. The conceptualization and ideation was done entirely by the director. Following the preparations of the script, Srinivas explained to the director that pre-production and planning was needed to execute his ideas before production of the film began.

The Test

When Srinivas, the VFX supervisor, understood the script, a test was carried out to get a glimpse of the scene with visual effects. The director and Srinivas chose the train sequence for the test. With the shot divisions regarding the different camera angles in place during pre-production, an animator Sanath P.C. from Hyderabad was roped in to enhance the pre-visualization process.

Robot boasts of a mammoth 2000 visual effects shots in 40 scenes. The bulk of the VFX work was undertaken in Srinivas' Indian Artists Computer Graphics Pvt. Ltd., Kinomotive Studios, Menfond Electronics & Arts, Pixion, Vensat, Firefly Creative Studios Hyderabad, EFX Prasad Studios, Oyster and Ocher studios also assisted in executing some of the VFX and post production work for the film.

Apart from the studios that were on board in this project, talented freelancers from London, Iran, Germany, France and Hong Kong were required for their expertise.

In this exclusive two part case study, BollywoodHungama gets to the bottom of the making and visual effects process that made this monumental film and Rajinikanth shine like steel.

Checkout: Rajinikanth's metamorphosis into 'Robot'

With the enormous success of the South Indian blockbuster, Robot (Endhiran) has already made a benchmark in the evolution process of filmmaking in India. The Rajinikanth - Aishwarya starrer directed by S.Shankar, got rave reviews for its uniqueness in action and visual effects. With a budget of over a hundred and fifty crores, 25 % of the funds were allotted in executing the commendable work done in VFX that helped in the narration of the film.

The film revolves around Dr. Vaseegaran played by Rajinikanth who invents a High-end robot named Chitti, a mirror of his own image. The scientific body, AIRD, declines the approval of the robot stating that it does not have emotions and the ability to make rational judgment. An unexpected flash of lightning induces emotions in the robot, and Chitti is geared up for its integration into the human world. Chitti then falls in love with Dr. Vaseegaran' fiancée Sana played by Aishwarya Rai and goes against his creator.

The film has already spread its wings across the globe with raking in massive box-office collections. V. Srinivas Mohan, the VFX supervisor of this film and CEO of the VFX studio - Indian Artists, utilized the innovative skin grafting technology that got laudable appreciation from critics for Sivaji. Shankar got him on board for his latest endeavor Endhiran. He has also worked with the director in Aparchit and Boys hence it was certain that the director would need the VFX extraordinaire in executing the science-fiction film. Along with him Frankie Chung of Kinomotive studios and Eddy Wong of Menfond Electronics & Arts, both from Hong Kong, also worked as additional VFX supervisors for their respective sequences.

Robot+Rajini=Rs 300 cr

He can shoot bullets with his finger, kill with a handbag, make mosquitoes apologise, clone himself a hundred times, even seduce the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with the cheesy line, 'come on, baby, give a beautiful kiss to the king'. So is it surprising that Rajinikanth, 61, has just starred in India's most expensive film which is also set to become India's most successful movie?

Three years after his last big hit, the Rs 60-crore, 1,000-print Sivaji: The Boss made Rs 128 crore; two years after the Rs 64-crore Kuselan tanked at the box office making just Rs 8 crore; and a year after his daughter's ambitious animated film Sultan ran into production and legal troubles, Shankar's Endhiran: The Robot has created a buzz that will translate into a Rs 300- crore box office gross on Sun Pictures' publicly listed balance sheet and act as a neat little pre-Diwali gift to Tamil Nadu's ruling family.

With the opening weekend gross alone being Rs 90 crore, he has also proved himself worthy of the tag of being Asia's second highest paid actor at Rs 45 crore. Whether it is shooting down policemen as the evil robot with the memorable Terminator-like line, 'Happy Diwali, folks,' or wooing Aishwarya with copies of A Briefer History of Time and Freakonomics, the hero-of-10-wigs has proved himself irresistible to all psychographics, young and old, MIT alumni and Mylapore maamis, urban sophisticates and rural fanatics.

Part urban legend now with the 99 Rajinikanth jokes (a sample, water boils faster when Rajinikanth stares at it) and part global phenomenon (The Robot has become India's highest grossing opening weekend film in the US at $2.5 million), he has established that he is The Superstar, with a box office collection surpassing India's biggest hit so far, 3 Idiots. A superstar who draws fans to the first day, first show of his film at 3 a.m. in Chennai's Rohini theatre; whose film has had the widest release across 3,000 screens worldwide; whose movie tickets were sold for up to $40 in some US theatres during the opening weekend; and whose releases are greeted with special prayers, milk abhishekams and public tonsuring, Rajinikanth proves that no matter where you are from (a Kannadiga who speaks Marathi) or how you began in life (as a bus conductor), success can be grasped faster than he can utter his "punch" dialogues.

For Sun Pictures, who spent Rs 200 crore on production and marketing, it was a trophy project. Sun Network Chairman Kalanithi Maran wanted a Tamil film for the international audience with an "international" standard, says Hansraj Saxena, COO, Sun Pictures. "After Eros's Ayngaran International pulled out because of the recession and there were no takers for Endhiran, Maran took on the project. He was sure he would get back the money he invested," says Tamil writer Vaasanthi.

Sun's marketing muscle, enveloping the state in surround sound, helped. Sun Pictures is part of the Sun TV network, which owns a dozen newspapers and magazines, 21 TV channels, 43 FM radio stations and controls 30 per cent of movie theatres in Tamil Nadu. Sun Network channels-Sun TV, K TV and Gemini TV-have been running trailers, its magazines like Kungumam, newspaper Dinakaran and the evening daily Tamil Murasu have done cover stories, and even the film's five-minute trailer, released in over 20 per cent theatres in Tamil Nadu, ran housefull at Rs 120 a ticket. Everything was to be done bigger and better, whether it was A.R. Rahman's music, Resul Pookutty's sound or Stan Winston Studio's special effects, making it a milestone in Indian cinema.

What's more, the film was smartly pre-sold. The Hindi theatrical rights were sold to Manohar Prasad's Gemini Film Circuit for Rs 23 crore, Telugu rights to Thota Kanna Rao of Sri Krishna Traders for Rs 27 crore, Kannada and Malayalam for Rs 14 crore, the Tamil overseas rights for Rs 17 crore, the music rights for Rs 10 crore, home video in all languages for Rs 17 crore, and tv rights for Rs 25 crore.

In Tamil Nadu, Sun Pictures retained the distribution rights, while in Chennai it sold them to a trusted lieutenant of dmk leader M. Karunanidhi, T. Nagar District Secretary J. Anbhazhagan, for Rs 27 crore. With a projected Tamil theatrical box office revenue of Rs 88 crore, the film will make more than a tidy profit. With 3,000 screens multiplied by four shows a day and at least 500 seats per show, the number of people who watched The Robot nationwide on opening day was an astounding 15 lakh. Add to all this Rs 20 crore earned by the Sun Network channels from the movie's promotional programmes, with ad costs averaging Rs 35,000 for 10 seconds.

This story is simple enough. It's the war between man and machine. Rajinikanth is Vazikaran, the Cornell and Stanford trained scientist who creates Chitti, a robot who will replace soldiers, by acting and thinking like a human. But he falls in love with Aishwarya, a medical student named Sana, who is already in love with Vazikaran. Naturally there is an evil Green Goblin kind of scientist, Bohra, played by Danny, who wants to exploit this weakness in Chitti's silicon heart.

The last 40 minutes is a real celebration for Rajini fans, as he struts on screen as Chitti, upgraded version 2.0, enjoying his wickedness, morphing from snake to giant man to enormous tower in one breath, intent on creating a new species, Robo sapiens. Industry sources say around Rs 50 crore was spent on the last 40 minutes and Rs 3 crore was spent for Rajinikanth's make-up alone. The sets for the climax cost Rs 5 crore. Beats zari borders and San Francisco skylines anytime.

For all its lightness of spirit and comic book humour, The Robot is also a triumph of technology. Domes light technology has been used to shoot 3D images of Rajinikanth for the first time to match the skin tone lighting for both the human and the Rs 4.8-crore robot. The camera report for the entire movie runs to around 1,600 pages and 40 per cent of the budget of the film has been spent on special effects.

"There are 1,500 CG shots in the film, of which 200 are complicated shots. Twenty-two scenes of the movie have been shot using animatronics and special make-up," says director Shankar, who last worked with Rajinikanth on Sivaji: The Boss. Everything is in excess. Fifty-seven costumes for Aishwarya and 55 for Rajinikanth were designed by Mary E. Vogt; dance moguls like Prabhu Deva, Raju Sundaram and Lawrence Raghavendra choreographed the five songs; and the locations varied from Vienna to Machu Picchu in Peru. Having raised the bar with The Robot, Rajinikanth will now have to do bigger and better. "After Chandramukhi in 2005, he was a superstar not just for Kollywood but also a top actor for the international audience," says software professional Simply Sundar, who also runs a fansite devoted to Rajinikanth. The actor's registered fan base has now crossed two crores, with 50,000 registered fan clubs and 50,000 unregistered.

In keeping with the apolitical nature of Endhiran, Rajinikanth has made it clear that politics is not his next act. He may have gone to meet Bal Thackeray during his Mumbai visit, but all he will publicly say about what is next is that he is planning a holiday. So it seems is Sun Pictures. With no direct productions in the pipeline, it intends to acquire distribution rights of the Rs 38-crore Vijay-starrer Kavalan. Topping the man who can divide by zero or drown a fish, as the jokes go, will not be easy.

Trivia

The Maths Of Magic

Budget RS 200 crore,including Rs 45 crore to Rajinikanth, Rs 50 crore on promotion and Rs 6 crore to Aishwarya Total revenue in first two weeks Rs 300 crore, including Rs 88 crore from Tamil theatrical, Rs 50 crore from overseas rights, Rs 23 crore from Hindi rights, Rs 27 crore from Telugu rights, Rs 25 crore from satellite rights, Rs 17 crore from home video, Rs 10 crore from audio rights Total number of prints 2,250 across 3,000 screens

With 3,000 screens multiplied by four shows a day, the number of people who watched the film nationwide on the opening day was 15 lakh.

Rajini Rage

He doesn't care for wigs offscreen, doesn't sell films but presents them to the nation, and is not even a native of Tamil Nadu. But his rise from his first film in 1975, K. Balachanders Apoorva Raagangal, is the stuff of legend.

Badsha (1995) Based on the Hindi film Hum, in which he had played a role, it made him a superstar with thousands repeating his dialogue: "If I say it once, I've said it a hundred times."

Muthu (1995) Made him a cult in Japan when it was released as The Dancing Maharaja. It got him a mention in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 2006 speech to the Diet. The landmark line? "When I will arrive, or how I will arrive, nobody will know, but I will arrive when I ought to."

Padaiyappa (1999) In his 150th film, he played Sivaji Ganesan's son, an engineer who returns to his village. The movie earned Rs 20 crore and ran for 100 days. Its music, by A.R. Rahman, was hugely popular. As was the dialogue: "En vazhi? Thani vazhi." (My way is a unique way).

Chandramukhi (2005) The longest running Tamil movie of all time, at 800 days in one theatre, was a remake of the Malayalam hit Manichithrathazhu. It saw him play a psychiatrist who could read minds by following facial expressions. He sported 15 different wigs. Movie made over Rs 55 crore.

Sivaji: The Boss (2007) He played a software engineer who returns to clean up the city. He changes the colour of his skin at will, bounces chewing gum around, and dances in front of the Guggenheim Bilbao. He was paid Rs 26 crore. Movie made Rs 128 crore.

The Legend of Rajiniman

Like Chuck Norris, Rajinikanth has a series of jokes devoted to him on the Internet

Rajnikanth never sells a movie. He gifts it to the nation.

Rajinikanth once kicked a horse in the chin. Its descendants are today called giraffes.

Rajinikanth will attain separate statehood in 2013.

Rajinikanth never wet his bed as a child. The bed wet itself in fear.

Rajinikanth has already been to Mars. Thats why there are no signs of life there.

Rajinikanth doesnt breathe. Air hides in his lungs for protection.

Rajinikanth puts the laughter in manslaughter.

Rajinikanth can speak Braille.

Rajinikanth got small pox when he was a child. As a result, small pox is now eradicated.

Rajinikanth goes to court and sentences the judge.

Shankar Sir writes on his Blog

Hi Everybody,

‘Endhiran the robot’ film is in theatres now. I couldn’t be in touch with you guys for a long time since I was doing post production, release, theatre rounds and promotional activities till yesterday.

Thanks to everyone all over the world who enjoyed, supported and appreciated the film. Thanks to the press and all medias. I am very happy that the film is appreciated by the critics as well and was given 5 stars in many reviews and 4 – 5 in others. I am delighted with the box-office records south, north and all over the world.

Many stalwarts of the Indian film industry have congratulated me in person & over phone after watching the movie. It’s a wonderful feeling, Aamir Khan after watching the film invited me to his house, appreciated and discussed about the film till early morning with his wife Kiran and Director Rajkumar Hirani.

Hrithik Roshan called & shared his excitement after watching the film. Kamalhassan congratulated by sending flowers to me with a beautiful message.

Kannada director & actor Upendra, Actor Prakasraj and lot of directors, actors and technicians called and conveyed their heartfull appreciation.

The most exciting appreciation came from Director K.Balachandar. He is one who is very successful more than 30 years as a film maker and he is my role model and my initial goal is to achieve atleast 15 years like him in this field. He sent me an appreciation letter which put me in an emotional high. I couldn’t control my tears after reading it. It made me humble & has given me the energy to work even harder. I am attaching his letter here with his permission.

Director K.Balachandar Letter on Shankar

Rs 117cr in just 7 days, 'Robot' Rajini smashes all records Read more: Rs 117cr in just 7 days, 'Robot' Rajini smashes all records - The Times of Ind

Rajinikanth starrer 'Endhiran' has netted a collection of Rs 117 crore, surpassing the first-week collection of Bollywood's highest first-week grosser 'Dabangg' (Rs 82 crore).

Distributor and trade analyst Suniel Wadhwa said, ''The film has got a net collection of Rs 60 crore in TN, Rs 30 crore in AP, Rs 8 crore in Karnataka, Rs 4 crore in Kerala and Hindi version Robot Rs 15 crore. Looking at the trend the film has crossed Dabangg's two weeks net collection in its first week itself.''

'Endhiran' opened in 2,200 screens as compared to 1,400 for 'Dabangg'. An industry source said, ''More than one-and-half times extra screens means the revenue earned is nearly four times extra and that is also helping the film. Also about 92% of cinema halls are running the film and the collection continue to be rock steady.'' The film's report in the Hindi belt too is quite good. Distributor Sunil Bohra said, ''The collection of the film in places like Jodhpur, Ghaziabad, and Meerut continue to remain steady and the film is doing well both in single screen and multiplexes across states.''

Industry sources said since the entertainment tax structure was different in the south, it is difficult to get the gross box office collection. But they said the film had definitely grossed Rs 260 crore which was more than the entire collection of Aamir Khan starrer 'Ghajini'. Bohra said, ''The film has easily made a gross collection of Rs 200 crore plus which is nearly double of Dabangg.''

The Hindi version of the film Robot too has done a business of nearly Rs 30 crore in the first week. Amod Mehra said, ''Robot has broken all the norms of a dubbed film. I don't remember any dubbed film crossing even the one crore mark."

After SRK, Rajini unnerves Hrithik

Rajini and his ‘Endhiran’ have already made Shahrukh Khan alter his priorities with ‘Ra. One’ and SRK has totally changed his movie to be a gaming movie. Now Hrithik Roshan is also said to have rattled by Rajinikanth and the success of ‘Robot’.

Hrithik Roshan and his father director Rakesh Roshan were planning a sequel to their earlier super hit super man movie ‘Krrish’ and they were going ahead aggressively. Then came ‘Robot’. The technical brilliance and the box office success of the Rajinikanth film has made the father-son duo to rethink about their sequel.

While some sources say the Roshans have decided to temporarily put off ‘Krrish – 2’, Hrithik has denied the film being shelved.

Sources further say that the Roshans have realized that they have to plan and upgrade the standard they have imagined for ‘Krrish-2’ after ‘Endhiran-The Robot’ raised the bar of technical brilliance in Indian films substantially.

All are waiting for the official confirmation from the Roshans on a bigger and brighter ‘Krrish-2’ with fingers crossed.

Rajini and Robot rattle Shahrukh Khan

The message is on the wall. Rajinikanth’s ‘Endhiran’ and ‘Robot’ have changed the dynamics in Bollywood. Shahruk Khan who feels for the missed opportunity to have done ‘Robot’ in place of Rajinikanth is holding closed door meetings to make his upcoming film ‘Ra.One’, a step above ‘Endhiran-The Robot’.

SRK has realized that the audience would be expecting from him some thing more than ‘Robot’ now. So he is burning some midnight oil to contemplate the differences he had to make with his film.

‘Ra.One’ is also a sci-fi super hero film. Lately, sources say, Shahruk Khan had called his creative team including the director Anubhav Sinha and sound engineer Resul Pookutty to his house and discussed the changes that need to be made so that ‘Ra.One’ comes very close to ‘Endhiran - The Robot’ in size and stature.

According to sources, the new film of SRK will now be a gaming movie while retaining the emotional quotients and the drama. They further say that the movie is being designed in such a way that the audience will be able to participate in the film and play the ‘Ra.One’ game at the climax. This kind of participatory film is a first of its kind, we guess.

All said and done what ever happens in the name of competitions it is all good for Indian cinema. If Indian cinema grows the ultimate beneficiaries are the audience. So we welcome this healthy competition. All the best SRK!

‘Endhiran’ Theatres Raided in Bangalore

Bangalore theatres screening Rajinikanth’s ‘Endhiran’ were raided by the Income Tax department alleging they flouted norms brazenly.

The Karnataka theatrical rights of ‘Endhiran’ were purchased for approximately 9 Crores. So the exhibitors in a bid to recover their high bid in quick time had hiked ticket prices to Rs. 200 - 300 without prior approval from the authorities.

The main reason said for the unprecedented raids is that the theaters have not conformed to the tax policies. In Karnataka the entertainment tax for Non-Kannada movies is 30% and so when the theatres collect more they wonder where the extra bucks will go.

‘Endhiran’ has already been fodder for the Karnataka media. A rule passed by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce permitting only limited screens for non Kannada movies has been disobeyed by the exhibitors of ‘Endhiran’. Sources add that whereas only 24 screens are permitted for exhibiting a non Kannada movie, ‘Endhiran’ is being screened in 58 theatres in South Karnataka alone and that includes Bangalore.

RAJINI IS VERY HAPPY

Rajinikanth is thrilled by the victory of Endhiran. The Superstar, speaking to the media in Mumbai, said that he is happy that the audience liked Endhiran. Several Bollywood film personalities including Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Hemamalini and Dev Anand praised the star no end after watching Robot in a special premiere organized in Mumbai.

The actor revealed that he will be going on a vacation when questioned about his next project.

Business Talk . its a Boom time

It started with 3 IDIOTS. Then DABANGG. Now ENTHIRAN - THE ROBOT / ROBO / ROBOT. The super success of these films proves one point: The volume of business is getting bigger and bigger. These three films have changed the rules of the game. The moviegoers are back to theatres and House Full boards is regularity outside theatres these days, at least during weekends.

Talking of the Hindi film industry, the year has clearly witnessed an upswing in business. The term 'recession' is over, the distributors are back, the revenue generated from Satellite Rights is heading Northwards… Even star fees have sky-rocketed in last few weeks. The mood is upbeat.

With ENTHIRAN - THE ROBOT / ROBO / ROBOT, Rajnikant has proved he's the undisputed Badshaah of Indian film industry. The business of the film, especially in South India and international markets, is humungous. With ANJAANA ANJAANI, Ranbir Kapoor has proved he's a crowd puller. How the film sustains on weekdays depends on how the viewer takes to the content. In this case, the film has faced a steep fall, but eventually its producers would end up making decent profits since the recovery from Satellite Rights has been very good.

KHICHDI - THE MOVIE has worked in Mumbai-Gujarat, but talking in terms of economics, the cost of production has been recovered from Satellite Rights itself. The revenue it generates from India theatrical [after deducting P & A expenses] and Home Video will only add to the surplus.

Robot Premiere in Mumbai

Celebs react on Rajini, The Robo

Endhiran’ The Robot has truly rocked Bollywood. It is seen that the celebrities who had seen the film is clearly out of words to describe their awe.

Here are some initial reactions from the celebs who attended Rajini’s special premiere.

Amitabh Bachchan: Just back from 'Robot' and meeting up with Rajni at PVR Juhu ...what an experience. Incredible!! Whistles claps applause ..amazing. ROBOT a sensation all over. Rajini you are just unbelievable my friend ..many more accolades your way ..!

Abhishek Bachchan: Just finished seeing ROBOT!!! MINDBLOWING!!!! nothing else can be said...... DOT. (After many hours) Have a robot hangover!!!! (Later) Just tried to become a huge snake and eat some of the cars to beat the traffic!! Didn't go down too well!! Mr. Dentist here I come...

Preityzinta: Congratulations Ash :-) my super stunner & Jai Ho to ROBOT, Shankar & Rajinikanth! I love Rajini-Robo-Kant ! Two thumbs up!!

Manish Malhotra: Enjoyed robot even more the second time: guys it’s a must watch.

Trisha: Really happy 2 hear about Endhiran's box office reports n reviews. Way to go Rajini Sir. U will never cease to amaze. Congrats to the whole team. Its a proud moment for all of us actors who are part of South Indian cinema.

Madhavan: Ohhhh watching "Robot" with Rajini sir today... Yipeeeee Saw "Robot" "Endhiran".. Superb film.. Rajni sir was outstanding.. The visual effects was world class.

Shobhaa De: Rajini Sir is a phenomenon! 'Robot' rocks. And Aishwarya has never looked this smoulderingly sexy! Perhaps 60+ men do it for her? Whatever.

Riteish Deshmukh: SUPERSTAR RAJNI He is a phenomenon. Action in ROBOT is just what u want to watch as a Rajini FAN- GO WATCH IT NOW- bit long but worth it.

Shekharkapur: Kudo's 2 Shankar n Rajinikanth for ROBOT, Chitti d Robot is great character and beautifully played by Rajinikanth highly entertaining

AAMIR KEEN ON ROBOT

Robot mania refuses to die, especially in the north. With Robot already making huge waves across the world with rave reviews and amazing collections, it has not spared the eagerness of Bollywood celebrities as well. Aamir Khan, who has shown keen interest in Tamil movies, of late, after acting in Ghajini is very keen on watching Robot. “I’m most keen on watching Robot. Rajini Sir rocks!!” is what he has to say about our superstar.

Aamir Khan's production venture Peepli Live has been selected as India's entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign film category.

Amitabh and Aamir awe struck by ‘Endhiran’

Whenever he does a big film in Tamil, the super star Rajinikanth screens special shows of the film to his friends in Bollywood. It last happened for ‘Sivaji’ and now the ‘Endhiran’s Hindi version ‘Robot’ is captivating the who’s who of Bollywood.

The super star was in Mumbai and he showed ‘Endhiran - the Robot’ to his friend, guide and philosopher Amitabh Bachchan and his other friends in Bollywood like Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Tabu, Urmila Matondkar, Shriya Saran, Hema Malini, Vrinda Rai, S. Shankar, Kiran Rao, Karan Johar, Sunny Deol, Yash Chopra and many other celebrities.

After watching the movie all the stars including the Big B was nothing but awe struck came back speech less.

Amitabh has said “I went to see the event of the season - ROBOT! Rajini had called yesterday from Chennai, was holding a show in Mumbai and as was his tradition wanted me to come over to see it along with other friends. And so we went and so we remained awe struck on what transpired and so we came back speechless on the experience. Aishwarya looked smashing and danced like she had never danced before. Rajini … what can one say for this man. He is just unbelievable. The film is a roller coaster ride of fun and ecstasy and events of mammoth proportions.

Amitabh further said “An incredible experience it was. Rajini was incredible, Aishwarya was colorful and danced like a dream and content and delivery was simply extraordinary.”

The man perfect Aamir Khan said after the movie that he wanted to ‘eat his brain’ - Shankars that is - to know how Shankar managed the awesome film.

So the first real Indian International film has arrived.

My Simple Review of Endhiran

This Movie is Awesome with Superb Background Music . Each and Every Technician done a great job in this movie especially director Shankar Sir and the way of his direction . Just watch it and Definitely you will enjoy 3 Hours of Roller Coster Ride In Theater . If You Miss this Movie your going to loss something big in your in life .
My Ratings

Its This Stars Enough For This Movie definitely Not But Thats all i can Do