This article written by Usman Feroze appeared in The Hindu on 26-01-2007

When K Balachander cast a young bus conductor from Bangalore in an insignificant role in his 1975 film Apoorva Raagangal, the Tamil filmmaker told audiences to watch out for the “fire in the actor’s eyes.” Now, more than two decades later, the eyes of Rajinikanth have become the deciding factor for French actor-director Alain Chabat to “cast” the superstar in his film.

Chabat’s top-grossing French comedy Prête-moi ta main (I Do) has Rajinikanth making an appearance in the form of a TV sequence showing a stunt scene from his 1995 film Muthu.

“Chabat decided in favour of Muthu, though he initially wanted to show a kung-fu sequence from a Chinese film. He was attracted by Rajinikanth’s eyes,” says Etienee Dubaille of Chez Wam, the production company of Chabat.

In the film, its heroine Emma, played by actor Charlotte Gainsbourg, is shown watching Muthu. She is asked, “What are you watching?” to which she replies, “Muthu, a cult Indian movie,” and adds when Rajinikanth’s face appears, “I love that scene!”

In a live interview on the Internet, Chabat told a Tamilian living in France that Muthu was a “very good movie … Super, in one word!”