‘The cats out of the bag’ as they say, so I’ll start by telling you guys about my trip to Dubai, to be a part of the audio launch of Rajinikanth’s 2.0. An event of this magnitude certainly gets its fair share of attention, so rather than telling you more about the things you already know, here’s my behind-the-scenes take instead. Being the Anchor brings with it many privileges, and in this case one of them was getting to chat with the core team before I officially introduced them on stage at the Press Conference. The stars in question? Amy Jackson, A.R.Rahman, Director Shankar, Producer Subashkaran, Akshay Kumar and of course, the Superstar Rajinikanth. An extraordinary line up, if I may so myself.
The venue was the iconic Burj Al Arab, kick starting what was to be an unforgettable two-day experience. Of course our celebrities arrived in the most dramatic way possible, via choppers on the roof. It all felt a bit surreal as I announced “Ladies and Gentleman, A.R.Rahman and Akshay Kumar have landed, we are waiting for Amy Jackson and Rajinikanth”.
Which brings me to the launch itself, at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, where the biggest ever stage for a film audio launch had been created. You really had to see it to believe it.
Chatting with Sameer Sethi from Percept, the Creative and Technical Head, and the man responsible for putting things together, the facts he shares are staggering. Everything from choppers, to Para jumpers, hydraulics, pyros, sky balloons, 5000 square feet of LEDs and what amounted to 3000 people working for a month in the lead up to the launch. Lyca Productions (who are also producing the film) really pulled out all the stops.
Coming back to the launch, once my role as the red carpet host was done, I grabbed a comfortable seat backstage, and enjoyed the show. It didn’t hurt having Karan Johar for company, and the sparkliest dress ever (thank you Rehane!).
A once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone involved, and a ‘check’ on my anchor/presenter to-do list. My favourite moments? Interviewing an emotional Latha Rajinikanth and listening to her talk about her husband’s hard work, watching A.R.Rahman’s 130 piece symphony in action and of course the moment Thalaiva Rajini took the stage. I have Goosebumps just thinking about it.
I will leave you with that thought, and I hope you enjoyed my behind the scenes account of all the happenings. Here’s to more travel, adventure and fun on the job!
