Soundarya Rajinikanth: ‘Appa is Writing His Autobiography And I Am Closely Involved in The Process’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Soundarya Rajinikanth is the daughter of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth and a noted film producer. In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, she talks about her upcoming Netflix series, her upcoming collaborations with directors Abishan Jeevinth and Magesh Raj Pasilian and the best advice she received from her father.  

You are developing and producing an original series called “#Love” for Netflix. 

Yes, and this is a very special project for me. It stars Arjun Das and Aishwarya Lekshmi. We are currently in the final delivery stages and are looking at an October release. My association with Netflix has been incredibly rewarding. I am looking forward to sharing the series with the audience.  

Your film ‘With Love’ performed well at the box office. How did that achievement feel, particularly because this was a success of your own? 

It feels wonderful, and the success of “With Love” means a great deal to me because it marked an important new chapter in my professional journey. At the same time, cinema is always a collaborative effort, and this achievement belongs to the entire team. Magesh (whom I affectionately call Thambi; which means younger brother in Tamil) and I have known each other for many years. When we reconnected, we knew we wanted to create something together and that’s how “With Love” found its way to us. 

I loved the script from the very beginning, and we were fortunate to have an exceptional team that brought it to life with so much commitment. I have beautiful memories of making the film, and the affection it received from audiences, along with its box-office performance, made the entire journey even more special. I feel very proud and grateful. 

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You are working again with Abishan Jeevinth and Magesh Raj Pasilian. What can audiences expect next? 

Thambi and I are currently working on another film that is scheduled to begin filming in October, and we will be happy to share more details soon. Our next collaboration with Abishan is planned for the following year, and we have almost finalised the director. Abishan, Magesh thambi and I are like a family. For Abishan, this will always be home, and for us, he will always be our child. I believe that bond will continue to bring us back together creatively. 

There is speculation that you are working on your father’s biography. Can you tell us more? 

Appa is writing his autobiography and I am closely involved in the process. We are looking forward to its release with immense anticipation. Having seen how the book is shaping up, I truly believe it will be one of those rare works that people will read, revisit and draw inspiration from for years to come. For me, ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ by Paramahansa Yogananda is one such book. I believe Appa’s autobiography will hold that kind of enduring significance because his journey is truly exceptional. 

At the right time, when his life is adapted into a film, it will be the most personally and professionally special project I could ever undertake. 

What is the best advice your father has given you? 

Appa is my role model, my idol and my everything. I look up to him in every aspect of my life. One piece of advice relating to cinema has always stayed with me: you cannot place every creative idea you have into a single project. At some point, whether you are a producer, director, writer or designer, you must understand what belongs to that particular work, complete it with conviction and carry the remaining ideas into the next one. It taught me that creativity also requires clarity and discipline. 

How do you deal with constant comparisons with your father? 

It is not always easy. Being born into a legacy as extraordinary as Appa’s is my greatest blessing, but it also comes with a certain level of expectation and scrutiny. The comparisons with Appa have existed from the moment I entered the film industry. Perhaps I would not have faced them in the same way had I chosen another profession, but I have no regrets because I genuinely love cinema and everything I do within it.