Rajinikanth to launch TV channel, says efforts on to register name

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Saturday said that efforts were underway to register a name with the registrar of trademarks for the launch of a television channel floated by his forum, Rajini Makkal Mandram. Ahead of his visit to the United States, where the actor is slated for a brief stay with his family, Rajinikanth told reporters at the airport that the forum would be registering the name for the television channel.

"We came to know that somebody is going to start (a television channel) in that name. Ahead of them, we are going to register that (name)," Rajinikanth said to a query on whether there was a plan to launch a television channel on his name. On Friday, Rajini Makkal Mandram had said it filed for a TV-channel trademark with the registrar of trademarks.

Read | 2.0 box-office collection week 2: Rajinikanth-Akshay Kumar starrer crosses Rs 700 crore mark

The actor informed in a letter to the registrar of trademarks that an application made by the forum be processed and he had no objection to the use of his name and photo in the logo of the proposed television channel.

To a query on whether he would contest the 2019 general election, the 69-year-old said he was yet to float a political party and would inform whether he would contest it later.

On his views about his upcoming movie, 'Petta', Rajinikanth expressed hope that the film would meet the expectations of the fans. The movie, directed by Karthik Subbaraj of 'Jigarthanda' fame, is produced by Kalanithi Maran-backed Sun Pictures. 'Petta' is all set to be released in January, commemorating the Pongal festival.

Read | Sania Mirza-Shoaib Malik share first picture of baby boy Izhaan Mirza Malik, Twitterati go gaga

The actor will be in the US for a few days and is expected to return in the first week of January, sources said. Rajinikanth, who turned 69 on December 12, is riding on the success of the magnum opus '2.0', which had hit the screens last month.