Cinematographer Rajiv Menon has given the most detailed account yet of how the promotional video for KHxRK, the upcoming Rajinikanth-Kamal Haasan collaboration directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, was put together in just four days, and revealed that the two legends needed 20 takes before they could walk in sync on camera.
In a conversation with I AM with Dhanya Varma show, Rajiv Menon said his entry into the project came through Mani Ratnam. Nelson had met the veteran filmmaker and expressed that he wanted a slightly different visual approach for the film. Mani Ratnam, who had worked with Rajiv Menon on Bombay and held him in high regard, suggested his name for the project.
Rajiv Menon said he was uncertain at first about which character he was being attached to, as the film has a commissioner character and a DGB character among its principals. When Nelson sat him down and narrated the script, however, any uncertainty disappeared quickly. “After narrating the script, he asked me, ‘Will you shoot it?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course, I love it. It’s a beautiful idea,’” he recalled. He described Nelson as a captivating narrator. “He is a very fascinating and beautiful narrator,” he said.
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A promo in four days for Rajini-Kamal Haasab film
Before any of that could move forward, Nelson told him there was an immediate task. The promo had to be ready within a week because the announcement needed to go out ahead of the elections, and getting Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan together at the same time was a narrow window the team could not afford to miss.
Nelson developed the concept from a small idea, brought composer Anirudh Ravichander in, and asked whether they could build a garage set with models washing cars. The set was designed and constructed in four days. Models were flown in from Delhi, Mumbai and Dubai for the shoot.
Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan took 20 takes for one walk
When the cameras started rolling, Rajiv Menon had a clear sense of what he was working with. He had previously shot with Kamal Haasan for advertising campaigns but had never worked with Rajinikanth before.
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The two stars were required to walk together toward the camera, and to do so in sync. It proved harder than expected. “It took 20 takes to get them to walk in sync. They were not able to do it at first. Then they both came, discussed, and walked together, after which we found a new kind of style and charisma,” Rajiv Menon said. He described the energy between the two as something difficult to define. “There’s some animal magnetism they both have,” he said.
He also noted that Nelson himself, who appeared in the promo, went through an equally methodical process to land the right comic timing. Even Anirudh, who also appeared on screen, impressed Rajiv Menon. “He’s a very good actor,” Rajiv Menon said.
Despite the number of takes and the compressed timeline, Menon said the experience was genuinely enjoyable. “Both Kamal and Rajini love cinema so much, so it was quite a joy,” he said.
The promo’s impact
The promo was released on February 21, and connected strongly with younger audiences. Nelson’s intent, Rajiv Menon said, was to appeal to Gen Z viewers by having the two icons gently mock themselves while wrapping it in humour and a retro musical sensibility.
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Plan for Thalaivar 173
Rajiv Menon confirmed that principal photography on KHxRK is expected to begin in August or September 2026. Both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have solo commitments to complete before then, with Rajinikanth attached to Thalaivar 173 and Kamal Haasan to KH237.
On the visual approach, Rajiv Menon said he is thinking carefully about how to photograph two actors who are in their seventies in a way that serves both them and the story. He said he is working with vintage S4 lenses and exploring retro lighting techniques. “We are dealing with people who are in their 70s, and they have to look good on screen, so I am using new lenses, the vintage S4 lens, and trying some retro lighting. That’s the core strength of the movie,” he said.
KHxRK is described as a black humour film. It is directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, with music by Anirudh Ravichander, and is produced by Inban Udhayanidhi under the Red Giant Movies banner. The film marks the first full on-screen pairing of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan since Ninaithale Inikkum in 1979, nearly 47 years ago.
