Not Rajnikanth, Robot 2.0 will be sold on Akshay Kumar’s name

Akshay Kumar to get top billing with the superstar Rajnikanth for Robot 2.0, say sources
Rajinikanth’s much-awaited sequel to Robot, 2.0, which stars Akshay Kumar will see the latter get top billing pan-India across the film’s posters, teasers, trailers and other promotional material alongside Rajini’s own name.This is unusual for a Rajinikanth-starrer, where all other actors barring him, get lower billing.

Says a source very close to the film, “The thing is, the producers of 2.0 hope to sell the film to the Hindi belt on the basis of AK’s presence there. For all his iconic status, Rajini’s films don’t work in North India. With Akshay Kumar playing the villain against Rajnikanth, the makers of 2.0 hope to make a killing in both the Hindi and non-Hindi markets. Hence the film will be marketed as a two-hero film all across the country.”

Amid huge fanfare and hysteria, the first look poster of Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar from Shankar’s 2.0 got launched in Mumbai on Sunday.The sequel to Enthiran (Robo in Telugu and Robot in Hindi) is said to be the costliest project in Indian cinema. It’s said to be made at a whopping budget of Rs. 350 crore.
“To work with Shankar is difficult. He is a perfectionist. That is why he is one of the biggest directors. This picture as 3D is a different experience. But the truth is Akshay Kumar is the hero,” Rajinikanth said at the event.

At the 2.0 launch, when Akshay was asked what kind of qualities did he see in Rajinikanth the superstar, He said, “Rajnikanth is not a superstar, he is the entire galaxy. I am his big big fan. And if there’s anybody in this industry who has got the swag, then it’s him. It can be a cigarette, or the way he wear his glasses or his coat. There’s no youngster who doesn’t want to imitate him. That’s also when he recalls an incident. Rajinikanth’s film called Baba had released. The film didn’t fare well but I had read that he had called the distributors and paid them their money back. And i think that is the biggest sign of being a big superstar. I can never forget that (the incident) .”