Akshay to lock horns with Rajini in Robo 2.0

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has been roped in to play the antagonist in superstar Rajinikanth-starrer ‘Robo 2.0’- a sequel to Robo, the filming of which started in Chennai on Wednesday.

In a press statement, the makers of the mega budget sci-fi extravaganza—Lyca Productions—said Akshay is on board to play a key role. While the production house did not divulge details about his role, sources close to the project said Khiladi Kumar, who many a time in the past expressed his wish to play a full-length negative character, would be playing the much-talked about ‘baddie’.

The makers had initially planned to rope in “The Terminator” star Arnold Schwarzenegger, but the deal fell through over his exorbitant paycheck.

The film will be helmed by acclaimed maker Shankar. Also starring Amy Jackson, who will reportedly be playing a robot, the film will have tunes by AR Rahman. ‘Baahubali’ fame Srinivas Mohan will take care of the visual effects work in the film, which is being shot in 3D. Legacy Effects from USA, the world No 1 Animatronics Company, which worked on monster hits like ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Avengers’ is also on board.