Rajinikanth calls Soori after watching Mandaadi, actor says his words of praise were the ‘greatest blessing’

Mathimaran Pugazhendhi's rural drama stars Soori and Suhas in lead roles. It has received positive reviews from audiences too.

Mathimaran Pugazhendhi’s sports drama Mandaadi, starring Soori and Telugu actor Suhas in his Tamil debut, was released in theatres last Thursday. The film, revolving around traditional boat racing, received good reviews upon its release. So far, the film has also been performing well at the box office. Soori has now revealed that Rajinikanth saw the film and called him personally to praise the work. (Also read: Soori gets teary-eyed as Pa Vijay recalls when actor hung on rope to paint walls: ‘An ordinary man can make history’)

Rajinikanth showered praise for Soori in Mandaadi.

What Rajinikanth said

Soori took to his X account and wrote, "Superstar Rajinikanth Sir watched and loved our #Mandaadi. His heartfelt call means the world to me and our entire team. This picture captured the priceless moment of hearing his voice on the other end! (red heart emoticon) @rajinikanth sir. His words were the greatest blessing I have ever received!"

All about the film

Mandaadi is a sports action drama centered on traditional coastal sailboat racing in Tamil Nadu. It revolves around Muthukaali (Soori), who lives an unfulfilled life working as an amusement park lifeguard in Chennai. He left his coastal village years earlier following a tragic incident that resulted in his self-imposed exile, but things change when a local boy named Maari (Mithun Jai Shankar) runs away after clashing with Saattapuli (Suhas), a powerful and influential figure whose crew dominates the regional sailboat races using outside players. Angry at Saattapuli's tactics, Maari wants to form an all-local team to beat him. When Maari crosses paths with Muthukaali, he convinces the former champion boat racer to return home and coach their underdog crew.

The film drew attention for its boating sequences. The team shot the movie directly in the middle of the open ocean for two months to capture authentic water-racing action. The action choreography of the film was directed by Peter Hein, featuring intense boat-to-boat sequences.

Meanwhile, Rajinikanth fans have been eagerly waiting for his next release, Jailer 2. The sequel will finally release next month, on October 15. Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, Jailer 2 follows the massive success of 2023's Jailer. The action entertainer grossed over ₹604.50 crore worldwide. It will mark the return of Rajinikanth's iconic character, Tiger Muthuvel Pandian.