Art director Karthik Rajkumar has shared his experience of working with Rajinikanth on Dharman, describing the veteran actor as an incredibly simple person whose infectious enthusiasm is one of the reasons he has remained Tamil cinema's biggest star for decades.
Speaking in an interview with Rednool, Karthik confirmed that filming on Dharman is progressing steadily, with the team having already wrapped up its first schedule. For the unversed, the film, backed by Kamal Haasan's Raaj Kamal Films International, is helmed by Ashwath Marimuthu.
"The film has already gone on floors, and we've completed one schedule. That entire schedule was shot on a set, so we've finished one portion of the film. We're on a short schedule break now, and the next schedule will begin in about ten days," he said.
Reflecting on his interactions with Rajinikanth, Karthik said the Superstar's humility and childlike excitement left a lasting impression on him. "He's a very, very simple human being. In fact, there are many things you can learn from him about how a person should be," he said.
Karthik went on to recall how Rajinikanth would enthusiastically react to his own photographs during photoshoots, saying the actor's ability to celebrate himself in a light-hearted manner was inspiring. "There's a saying that you should first learn to admire yourself. He's exactly like that. During his photoshoots, he'll look at his own pictures and say, 'Hey, who is this? He looks so good! He looks amazing!' Even if he's joking, the enthusiasm he has is incredible," he said.
According to Karthik, that unwavering energy is what has kept Rajinikanth at the top for so many years. "Watching that itself is inspiring. You understand why he's still a superstar today. He's such a fun person to be around," he added.
Dharman marks Rajinikanth's 173rd film as a lead actor. The film stars Simran as the female lead, reuniting with the actor after Petta, and also features Raashii Khanna in a pivotal role. The film has music by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography by Niketh Bommi, editing by Pradeep E Ragav, and action choreography by Anbariv.
While the makers are yet to reveal story details, the promotional material has described Rajinikanth's character as "The Deadly Doctor", hinting at a commercial entertainer packed with the actor's trademark hero moments.
