Thalaivar 169: Rajini sir and I share a special bond, says Shivarajkumar

We had told you Shivarajkumar was approached for Rajinikanth's upcoming film with director Nelson Dilipkumar of Beast-fame, titled Thalaivar 169. Now, the Kannada actor has confirmed that he's on board for the mega-budget project, bankrolled by Sun Pictures.

Shivarajkumar says he is happy to work with Rajinikanth on the film and he likes the script. “It's an honour to be able to work with someone of a Superstar's stature, and I'm glad that this project has enabled me to do so. I have known the senior actor since my childhood, and we have a special bond. No matter what role I play, I'm glad to be part of this film. I'm sure fans will be thrilled to see Rajini sir and me on screen.”

Further, Shivarajkumar added that the team is planning to begin shooting by August. When asked about where his portions will be shot, he said, "Either it will happen in Bengaluru or Mysore; some time by September."

Thalaivar 169 will mark the first time the two superstars share screen space.

Shivarajkumar, who is occupied with Vedha, will next team up with Yogaraj Bhat. Then, he will start work on Sachin Ravi's directorial project, which is based on the Hindu mythical character Ashwathama.

On the other hand, grapevine has it that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also has finalised her dates for Thalaivar 169. However, we await an official confirmation. According to the reports, The Bollywood actor will be playing the role of Rajinikanth’s wife in this yet-to-be-titled film. Aishwarya Rai and Rajinikanth had teamed up on Shankar's Enthiran, and if this materialises, she would collaborate with Superstar on Thalaivar 169, after 12 years.

It is said that Ramya Krishnan, and Priyanka Arul Mohan are, additionally, a part of this film, which has a musical score by Anirudh Ravichander.