Worshipped by his fans across the globe for his antics on the screen, superstar Rajinikanth has a critic at home in his own daughter, who feels her father goes “over-the-top” in some of his films. “I am one of his biggest critics. I feel that some of his movies are a bit over-the-top,” says Aishwarya R. Dhanush, who keeps reminding him the same, without “sounding harsh.” She was speaking at the launch of her debut book Standing On An Apple Box on Wednesday. The book is a semi-fictional memoir of the good, bad and ugly of being the daughter of one of the most celebrated actors of the Indian film industry.
Talking about the bond that her father and her actor-husband Dhanush share, the director-writer says there exists a mutual admiration between the two, both on personal and professional terms. “Dhanush has been a fan of my father since his childhood. They share mutual respect for each other. Also, the fact that Dhanush made it big on his own and not because he is someone’s son-in-law is something my father deeply admires,” she says.
A mother of two, Aishwarya says she has made sure to keep her children away from the spotlight in order to let them lead a “normal childhood.” “They are only allowed to watch their father’s or grandfather’s films, besides animated movies. In fact, they hardly know about any star other than their father and grand-father. This is deliberate. I don’t want them to limit themselves with this profession. Because, that should not happen by default, but out of interest. I would love to see them become a scientist for that matter,” she says.
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About her father’s reaction to the Rajinikanth jokes trending on social media, she says the actor “enjoys and laughs at them.”