'Can’t imagine the franchise without Rajinikanth': Shankar on '2.0' sequel

Superstar Rajinikanth’s 2.0, the highly anticipated sequel to Shankar’s Enthiran, is having a terrific run at the box-office with worldwide gross earnings of over Rs 500 Crore in just a week since its release.

Released in nearly 10,500 screens, the Shankar-directed visual spectacle is doing exceptionally well domestically as well as internationally. In his latest interview to Mumbai Mirror, Shankar has revealed that he has plans to make a sequel to 2.0, but he has made it clear that he can’t take forward the franchise without Rajinikanth.

“We definitely plan to make 3.0 but I can’t think of this franchise without Rajini sir. He’s the only name that comes to my mind when I think of Chitti. As an audience, I want our industry to have a superhero franchise like Superman, Spider-Man and Batman. Chitti is loved by all and I would love to see the character again on screen. But for that to happen, the creative in me should get the right script. I would not want to make 3.0 just for the sake of carrying the franchise forward.”

Keeping in mind Rajinikanth’s political ambitions and health, it has to be seen if the 67-year-old has it in him to invest his time and energy for one more part in the Enthiran franchise.

2.0 marked the return of Rajinikanth as scientist Vaseegaran and Chitti robot. He was also seen playing the titular character 2.0, the reloaded version of Chitti. Akshay Kumar, who debuted in the role of an antagonist in southern cinema, was seen playing an ornithologist who, when loses his fight to telecom companies while trying to save birds from dying from the emission of mobile towers, uses the fifth force to wreak havoc and take revenge.

Lyca Productions, the makers of the film, revealed earlier this week that 2.0 will have a wide release in China in a staggering 56,000 screens, making it the widest release for any foreign language film in the country.

(Content provided by Digital Native)