Superstar Rajinikanth turns 67, celebs wish him long life

Superstar Rajinikanth turned 67 on Tuesday, celebrities like megastar Amitabh Bachchan, filmmaker Karan Johar and actor Akshay Kumar wished him a long and a healthy life.

Fans of Rajinikanth, lovingly called Thalaiva, gathered outside his house in Chennai for his special day.

To mark the occasion, Rajinikanth's son-in-law, actor-producer Dhanush, also launched the second look of the megastar from the upcoming film. The actor is seen wearing sunglasses and a bearded look on the poster.

Here's what other celebrities tweeted:

Shivaji Rao Gaekwad (born 12 December 1950), known by his mononymous stage name Rajinikanth, is an Indian film actor, who works primarily in Tamil cinema.

He began acting in plays while working in the Bangalore Transport Service as a bus conductor. In 1973, he joined the Madras Film Institute to pursue a diploma in acting. Following his debut in K. Balachander's Tamil drama Apoorva Raagangal (1975), his acting career commenced with a brief phase of portraying antagonistic characters in Tamil films.

The Government of India has honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016 for his contributions to the arts. At the 45th International Film Festival of India (2014), he was conferred with the "Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year".

Tiger Zinda Hai not political, only a human story: Director

Tiger Zinda Hai, a film about two spies -- one Indian and the other Pakistani -- is largely a story about humanity, says its director Ali Abbas Zafar, who feels handling sensitive topics can be a "double-edged" sword these days.

Even at the best of times, tackling a movie with Indian and Pakistani protagonists can be tricky. How did he handle it?

"The film is a very human story... it is not political at all. The idea is that when there is a fight between right and wrong, what is at stake is humanity. And there's nothing bigger than humanity," Zafar told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

Given the current times, there's a question mark on the creative freedom of filmmakers in India, especially when it comes to sensitive topics. What does he have to say on that?

"It's a double-edged sword," he said.

"As a filmmaker and a creative person, I need to be sensitive to what is happening around me. I always personally think that no matter what happens, everything can be solved through dialogue. We should not take ourselves too seriously. At the end of it, it is a film... We work because of our conviction... at the same time it should not offend anyone."

Tiger Zinda Hai is the sequel to the 2012 actioner Ek Tha Tiger, which was directed by Kabir Khan. The film featured superstar Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif as Indian and Pakistani agents, and the two stars are back on-screen after five years in the same roles.

Working on the sequel, produced by Yash Raj Films, has been challenging for Zafar.

"But we are hopeful that the second part is going to live up to expectations. The story is the most important aspect of the film. Of course, Salman and Katrina are there. Both of them came on board after hearing the story, and they said that irrespective of whether it was a sequel or not, we had to do the film," he said.

"Both of them are so comfortable with each other off-screen that as soon as a little bit padding from a scene or song happens, their chemistry blooms on camera. I think that is an asset for a director because I don't need to push for it too much."

Zafar describes Salman as a "director's actor".

"He has given me what I have required from him and he has worked really hard to make the film look a certain way," he added of the film, which is said to be laced by some stunning action sequences.

The film's visual appeal itself will be enhanced by the picturesque destinations in Austria, Greece, Morocco, Abu Dhabi and India, where it has been shot.

Admitting that it is a "big budget" film, Zafar said: "I don't know the exact number. But it is bigger than 'Sultan' (his last film). We were very clear -- both Aditya Chopra and I -- that a story like this can only look real and authentic if we pay attention to the details and for that you need a certain amount of budget."

Deepika not part of Don, confirms Ritesh Sidhwani

Producer Ritesh Sidhwani says that actress Deepika Padukone is not a part of the Don franchise.

There were reports that Deepika Padukone may replace actress Priyanka Chopra in next part of Don. However Sidhwani has a different story to share.

Sidhwani on Monday said: "Deepika is not part of Don".

He was speaking to media at the success party of his friday released film Fukrey Returns .

Talking about next part of Excel entertainment's Don franchise, Sidhwani said: "We are working on that and very soon we will announce that also."

Informing more about his future projects, he said: "Now we have produced comedy and next from our side will be '3 Storeys' which will be a completely different film releasing in February."

"Then we are coming up with 'Gold' and 'Gully Boy' so all these films are different in terms of genre and none of them are comedies, so I think people should follow what they believe in and the kind of stories they want to tell. If you try to do the same thing or emulate something which is not inherent, I don't think success will come your way," he added.

"Fukrey Returns" has crossed Rs. 30 crores in just three days of its arrival at the theatres.

with inputs from agencies