Even before making his debut as a leading man in Modha Rathiri, Rishikanth had already been a part of the Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie (2025). But it was only with the release of Modha Rathiri and the glimpses at Rishikanth's upcoming film Dorothy, that the comparisons with Rajinikanth began.
While the similarities that are being pointed out begins with his name, the actor addresss this in an interview with CE. Rishikanth asserts that this is the name that his parents gave him, and it is not a stage name. When asked if his parents took inspiration from cinema, the actor said, "I did ask him, if he was a fan or was there any other reason, but I never got a proper answer. Back in the '90s, names ending with '-kanth' were famous, so that might have been the reason."
He adds, "I have continuously been made aware of similarities between Rajinikanth and me. While it feels nice to listen to it in the beginning, I would want to be known for something I did."
When asked if Rajinikanth has influenced Rishikanth, his Dorothy co-star Sananth chimes in by saying, "It's like his DNA is embedded with mannerisms of Rajinikanth."
Meanwhile, Rishikanth says, "Rajinikanth is the default choice. We usually hear people say that they like this person or that person, but Rajinikanth has been the base. It was his films that were some of my first watches ever, as a child. My earliest Rajinikanth watch is Manithan. I had a cassette of Padaiyappa, and two or three films, which were regular watches. I really like Baba. The first theatre watch was Sivaji."
Karthik Subbaraj's Dorothy has music by Ilaiyaraaja. Featuring Keerthy Suresh as the titular character, the film is set to open in theatres on September 25, after having its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
