Actress Saritha shared her experience with our Rajinikanth in 1981 magazine interview.

Thappu Thalangal

I first met Rajini in "Thappu Thalangal" shooting. It was an outdoor shooting in Bangalore. They were shooting a song sequence. Everyone greeted Rajinikanth. Someone introduced me to him. It was a whole day schedule. It was like a song that I sing after i get married. It begins as "A beautiful young girl gave the bed (Azhagana iLamangai kattil koduthal)". My character was like a pregnant lady. That is a matured character. Before every shot, the director used to remind me "Don't act like Marocharitra. Forget that character. You are not sixteen. You are twenty five now. Actually this character should be 30 years old, I reduced five years for you".

After the shooting, we came to the hotel. I was wandering in the portico in casual attire. Rajini came there. I was looking different and he mistook me for somebody else. I was very fat. I was just seventeen then. I greeted him "Good Evening sir". He also greeted me. He did not identify me.

During the shooting they changed my getup with a 30 year old makeup. Once he came to know who I am, he was very surprised. "Aiyaiyo, did I greet YOU with so much respect? I wasted a 'Good Evening' in my life", teased Rajini. 

Thappu Thalangal was shot in two languages – Tamil and Kannada. I don't know a single word in Kannada other than Sakku (enough) Bekku (want some). Rajini is the only one who can speak fluent Kannada in the entire crew. Rajini and the Camera Man Loganathan taught me Kannada. I used to talk in my own way. I even used to say the words that are not in the dictionary and pronunce them in a very bad way. I even used to say some bad words. It seems that in Kannda, certain words when pronounced incorrectly, become bad words.

Everyone called me "Sishy" in Balachander's unit. It means Child. Rajini also called me like that. Then he started calling me Karuppi (mean black girl).

Rajini would not talk much those days. He sleeps frequently and i assumed that he is a sleepy guy. I think he sleeps to avoid controversies! How do I know all those? Only thing I know is - He is a great person to interact with.

Netrikan

Though i met Rajini every now and then after Thappu Thalangal, I worked with him again only in 1981.

It was another Balachandar movie – Netrikkan. I played a role along with Rajini. I was working with Rajini even a week before his wedding. He did not say a single word about his wedding. He neither gave the invitation nor invited anyone. On early morning, February 26, he got married in Thiruppathi and came straight to AVM studios at 10AM for the shooting. Everyone was talking about his wedding. I didn't know whether it was true or not. I thought, the papers might have published some crap as usual and if I asked Rajini he might say NO. I was scared to congratulate him.

Then after every one congratulated him, I also did. He gave me a cadbury's chocolate. Then only, I believed that. He did not give Chocolate to everyone. He said "Only for ladies". He gave chocolates to Lakshmi, Vijayashanthi, myself and all ladies. He might have given to the director and other technicians inside. He was joking by saying only for ladies.

When I was in Mahabalipuram for a Telugu film's shooting, Rajini came there with his wife Latha. They were there for Holidays. Rajini introduced Latha to me. She was very nice. She would not talk much and soft.

Dhinesh
for www.rajinifans.com