With Rajinikanth anything is possible!

If the current buzz making the rounds in film circles is to be believed, Rajinikanth’s next project ‘Lingaa’ with KS Ravi Kumar is on its way to create a record of sorts in Telugu cinema. The Telugu dubbing rights of the film, we hear, is attracting a business of Rs 30 crore. And all this, even before the film is halfway through its shooting.

If there is truth in the speculation, this will be the highest price that has been quoted for a Rajini film till date. Even his sci-fi extravaganza, ‘Robot’, made on a budget of more than Rs 150 crore, was picked up for Rs 27 crore. That it made Rs 45 crore, withstanding stiff competition from Mahesh Babu’s ‘Khaleja’, is an altogether different story that speaks of the box-office potential of the Tamil demigod in Telugu.

When The Hans India contacted Rockline Venkatesh producer of ‘Lingaa’, he said, “As of now, I can't say yes or no, but I can state that I am not doing any business with the film right now. I will be able to divulge details at an appropriate time,” he said. When asked if the rights will be sold at a price higher than that of 'Robot', he maintained, "I will not say yes or no."

However, industry watchers insist that the film’s dubbing rights may fetch more than Rs 30 crore - this despite the poor show of ‘Vikrama Simha’ in Telugu. “‘Lingaa’ is bringing together the combination of Rajinikanth and KS Ravi Kumar, the duo who delivered blockbusters such as ‘Muthu’ and ‘Narasimha’ in the past; so the expectations are sky high. The film’s plotline has all the elements to be the baap of all commercial films. Moreover, the casting of Anushka and Jagapathi Babu, both of whom are noted faces in Telugu, should interest Telugu producers to shell out more than Rs 30 crore,” says a source. The source adds further, “If Venkatesh fails to get an amount of his liking; he will be distributing the film on his own in Telugu. Now that he is entering into the Telugu industry with Ravi Teja-starrer ‘Power’, he will weigh all his options before taking a decision.”