Duets with actresses in 'Lingaa' were difficult: Rajinikanth

He may have worked in about 170 films in a career spanning nearly four decades, but superstar Rajinikanth says he was tensed while shooting duets with Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha for his upcoming film 'Lingaa'.

"I worked very hard for this film. Working hard does not mean the action scenes of a train fight or climax fight. It is about doing duets with these two girls (Sonakshi and South Indian actress Anushka). I know Sonakshi since her childhood. She grew up at the same time like Aishwarya and Soundarya (his daughters) did.

"I was sweating when I had to do duets with her. I did not feel so tensed even while doing the first take in my first film. If God is to punish an artiste, it is by letting him do a duet after the age of 60," he said, evoking peels of laughter at a curtain-raiser event for 'Lingaa' held here last evening.

The film, scheduled to hit the silver screens on December 12, would be released in Telugu as well.

Rajinikanth said he acted in 'Lingaa' after a gap of about four-and-half years, as 'Kochadaiyan' (released earlier this year), an animation film, belonged to a different genre.

The storyline of 'Lingaa' deals with the construction of a mega dam and is set in the pre-independence era.

"It is my luck that I have done such a film in my career," he said.

Noting that the film wrapped up in just six months though it dealt with a big storyline, busy stars and technicians like A R Rahman, Sonakshi Sinha, Anushka and involved thousands of artistes, he praised the film's director K S Ravikumar, producer Rockline Venkatesh and the technicians for completing the movie in a short time.

Hollywood films are generally shot in a short period of a few months, though the film-makers work on it for months and years before beginning the shoot. Rajinikanth favoured such a practice being followed in India too.

The actor, however, said Telugu film 'Bahubali' currently being made by ace Telugu director S S Rajamouli, is an exception as its requirements were different.

Appreciating Rajamouli, who made sensational hits in Telugu like 'Eega' ('Makkhi' in Hindi), 'Magadheera', 'Maryada Ramanna' and 'Vikramarkudu', he said the Telugu director is going to be "number one in India."

Rajinikanth said he would like to act in a film directed by Rajamouli.

On the occasion, the superstar condoled the deaths and devastation caused by cyclone Hudhud in Visakhapatnam and coastal Andhra Pradesh in October this year.
Regretting that he could not attend a fund-raiser event organised by the Telugu film industry for cyclone relief, Rajinikanth sought apology for it and said he would make a contribution for the same.

On the occasion, Sonakshi said it was an honour for her to share screen space with Rajinikanth in the film and that she learnt a lot from him.

Veteran Telugu director K Viswananth (who made films like 'Eshwar' in Hindi), South Indian actress Anushka who also stars in 'Lingaa', famous Telugu director Trivikram Srinivas, leading producer Allu Aravind and several other prominent film personalities attended the event.