Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth are back together on screen after forty-seven years in a film, for now named KH X RK – and the very first look at it has really excited people in the movie business. Nelson Dilipkumar, the director, released a fun, old-fashioned teaser which hints at a really competitive, artistic battle between the two famous actors.
A get-together so long in coming
The last time Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth appeared in a movie at the same time was in 1979. Their coming back to act together in KH X RK is one of the very few times two huge stars who influenced a lot of Tamil film have come back to work with each other. People are very interested in what the movie will be like – its mood, how things will be balanced, and which of the two will be the main star. People who like movies, and people in the industry, are saying this is a historic moment, and a lot of people already think the project is the biggest Tamil film of all time, judging by what’s being said on social media. The get-together makes people feel nostalgic, but also makes one think of something new, led by director Nelson Dilipkumar and a special group of people working on it.
What the promo is like, and the best bits
The promo is 3 minutes and 46 seconds long and doesn’t take itself too seriously – it’s self-aware. Nelson walks through hotel halls, not knowing which room to go into, until music man Anirudh Ravichander shows up and decides for him with a silly trick using two fingers. This little joke sets the mood of the promo. Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth are only shown by what they wear and quick glimpses: changing jackets, choosing shoes, and a synced-up old-fashioned showing of the two stars walking to a car. This shows them as equals and gives their getting back together some personality.
The music, pictures, and what they tell us about the style
Anirudh Ravichander is said to be doing the music, including a song in the promo called Aaja Raja, sung by Chintu, and with words by Bablun. The teaser makes a joke about a musical idea that mixes old-style serious music with disco, described as Beethoven and Bappi Lahiri together – which shows that the music will be a mix of different styles. We get hints about the pictures in the poster and promo: grainy, old-fashioned textures, dramatic slow walks, and a garage where both stars make a powerful entrance. Rajeev Menon is listed as the person doing the pictures in the notes about the making of the movie, which shows that the pictures will be good, as well as the music.
How people have reacted and what’s being said on social media
Social media was full of posts very soon after the promo came out, with people happy about the two stars being in a movie together and sharing how they felt. Many posts said the get-together was a cultural event, like a festival for people who have been fans of both stars for a long time. The teaser also got people talking about how the two stars will act together in the film, and what the marketing plan is. Not saying who the main character is was a deliberate thing to get people to talk and to keep them guessing, and to get the movie seen by more people without giving away what the plot is.
How big the production is, the languages it will be in, and what we don’t know
The people making the movie are presenting KH X RK as a movie in a lot of languages – Tamil, Telugu and Hindi – which will make it more popular in business terms. The people in charge have said that the movie will be big and will be a celebration, but an official date for when it will come out has not been announced yet. Key questions still need to be answered: how much each of the two stars will be in the movie, how the movie will use its old-fashioned style to help the story, and which places will make the most money at the box office. With Nelson in charge and Anirudh doing the music, people are expecting a movie which mixes the fame of the stars, a good style, and music which people will like. This get-together promises both something amazing to see, and something which will make long-time fans feel good. As more and more bits of the movie are shown, it will probably be the main thing people talk about for months, and the industry will watch to see if KH X RK is as good as people are saying – and really is the biggest Tamil film of all time.
