Rajinikanth celebrates his 70th birthday today. While the superstar of Tamil cinema is considered more or less a God by the South Indian movie fans, even Bollywood actors and fans revere the Thalaiva. That is why when Shah Rukh Khan was working with Rohit Shetty for Chennai Express he decided to have a special single dedicated to the Andha Kanoon actor.
Shah Rukh Khan Almost Dropped Honey Singh's Tribute to Rajinikanth
Shah Rukh wanted to include a song at the end of the movie as a tribute to Rajinikanth since the central story of the movie revolved around a Tamil girl. That is why he called upon rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh. It took the famous Indian music composer almost two-months to come out with the Lungi dance song.
But when Badshah Khan heard it he was not happy and wanted to drop it from the movie. However, his son Aryan Khan and T-Series owner Bhushan Kumar pushed it forward and convinced Shah Rukh Khan to include it in the movie. That is how this Lungi Dance-which was meant to be a tribute to Thalaiva Rajinikanth was made and also became a big hit.
https://twitter.com/ashishtiwaritv/status/1336578232393469952
Rajiniji himself called the Chak De actor and praised the song. Shah Rukh during the promotion of Chennai Express said, "He (Rajinikanth) called me three days back and he saw the video on YouTube. He said it's very good, very naughty, very sweet. He said, 'It's really nice that you have done this song'. I'm very happy that Rajini sir is happy with the song and the family is happy."
The superstar added, "I thought the timing is good. If you don't pay a tribute to Rajini sir in a film called "Chennai Express", then it is incomplete."
https://twitter.com/KaneshBruno/status/1337403588268552193
Vishal Shekhar Felt Cheated Due To Inclusion of Lungi Dance Song in Chennai Express
There is yet another story, rather a controversy attached to this famous song. According to reports, Vishal Shekhar, the musical duo who were composing music for Chennai Express had no idea that Shah Rukh Khan had hired Honey Singh for a special single. Not only that, but the makers also asked him to perform in this song along with Shah Rukh and Deepika Padukone.
https://twitter.com/VishalDadlani/status/339675782639149056
So when rumors surfaced about the involvement of Honey Singh in Chennai Express's music, Vishal Dadlani tweeted, "It's hilarious and pathetic how desperately this tacky rape-rapper is trying to ride on the fame of SRK and Chennai Express (sic)"
https://twitter.com/VishalDadlani/status/349924356639559681
But eventually when they found out that the news was true. both Vishal and Shekhar felt cheated and even refused to attend the promo events of Chennai Express. Stories and controversies apart, this song was a trendsetter in the same way Rajinikanth has set many trends and milestones with his distinct acting style and stardom.
Importantly, Rajinikanth is the only Indian superstar to have a full-fledged song dedicated to him in a Bollywood movie. Long live the Thalaiva!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69CEiHfS_mc