Rajinikanth, 70, has been filming since mid-December for Siruthai Siva’s Annaathe in Hyderabad.
New Delhi:
Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth, who has been in Hyderabad for the production of his upcoming film Annaathe, canceled his filming today after some team members tested positive for COVID-19.
“Superstar Rajinikanth and other team members tested negative,” confirmed the film’s production studio, Sun Pictures, on Twitter.
The coronavirus infection in four crew members was detected during routine tests, it added.
Announcement: During routine testing at #Annaathe Shooting 4 crew members who tested positive for Covid19. Superstar @rajinikanth and other crew members tested negative. To ensure maximum security #Annaathe Filming has been postponed.
– Photos of the sun (@sunpictures) December 23, 2020
The 70-year-old actor has been filming for Siruthai Siva’s Annaathe, which features four women at the helm – Nayanthara, Keerthy Suresh, Khushbu and Meena – since mid-December.
Sources indicate that the entire crew was in a bio-bubble and that filming was to continue until mid-January.
Rajinikanth, one of India’s highest-paid actors, had announced his decision to join politics in early December amid reports that he was reluctant in light of the coronavirus pandemic and his health after a kidney transplant, which made it vulnerable to Covid.
It was finally released on December 3 saying “it’s now or never”.
“I am ready to sacrifice my life for the Tamil people,” he declared, adding that he will announce his party’s name on New Year’s Eve and launch it in January, five months before the Tamil Nadu elections.
The entrance of the bus driver turned political actor after years of waiting was well received, among many others, by Tamil Nadu’s Chief Deputy Minister O Panneerselvam, who is also the coordinator of AIADMK. Mr. Panneerselvam had said that he expected an alliance.
The AIADMK is one of the two poles of Tamil Nadu politics, the DMK being its rival. Party chief MK Stalin had said he would react to the actor’s political debut after he “floats his party and then announces his ideology.”
The two sides will be closely watching the movements of Rajinikanth’s new outfit, which according to the actor will follow a “spiritual secular politics” without caste or religion.
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