“Everyone was asking when the film would come out and whether it would ever hit the screens…even if it is late, it should come the correct way. When it comes out, it has to hit the target,” said Rajinikanth at the trailer launch of his next film, 2.0, at Sathyam Cinemas on Saturday.

The film is slated to release on November 29.

In his own tongue-in-cheek style, Mr. Rajinikanth added to the roaring applause of his fans, “I am talking only about the film.”

Hit prediction

He said that the film would be a ‘super-duper hit’. “Subaskaran (producer of the film and chairman of Lycamobile) has come forward to invest nearly ₹600 crore…trusting not Rajinikanth or Akshay Kumar, but trusting one man, Shankar. He never fails to entertain the audience, he never fails his producers. He is a great filmmaker, a showman, a magician — he is the Indian James Cameron and Steven Spielberg,” he added.

Mr. Rajinikanth further said: “I am saying that this picture will be a superhit — not because we have invested ₹600 crore, not because we made this over three to four years and not because of the technical excellence. In this film, the magic has worked out.”

“It has an international message that the universe is not only for human beings, but for all living creatures,” the star added.

He also responded to criticism that the film had not been properly promoted. “I am telling you that after the release, the people will promote it. This is a film for everyone,” he said.

“When I started the film after coming back from the shooting of Kabali in Malaysia, I couldn’t continue after seven days. I couldn’t even remember five lines. I lost my confidence. But Shankar held my hand and said that the film could not be done without me,” said Mr. Rajinikanth.

Director Shankar said, “If Subaskaran wasn’t there, this film wouldn’t have happened.”

All-star cast

“In this film, we are going to see Rajinikanth as Vasee, Chitti the 2.0 version, and as a giant Chitti. It will definitely meet expectations,” he added. Producer Subaskaran, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, music maestro A.R. Rahman, cinematographer Nirav Shah, actor Amy Jackson and other members of the film crew participated in the event.