Shankar bigger superstar than Rajinikanth, says Ram G Varma

Zamir Siddiqi, Mumbai.

Ram Gopal Varma to say something controversial! The filmmaker has said that he finds Shankar, the director of the upcoming Tamil film I, far bigger than superstar Rajinikanth and even former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

Vikram's character in the film is a bodybuilder going by the name Lingeswaran who is preparing for the Mr Tamil Nadu contest. Vikram as the hunchbacked character is called Koonan. The much-awaited trailer of Shankar's I, starring Vikram and Amy Jackson in the lead, has been released last week.

"After seeing I trailer purely as a general common outsider I feel Shankar is bigger than Jayalalitha and Rajnikanth in Tamilnadu," Varma posted on Twitter.

The Satya helmer said the film, which releases early next year, will earn more than Rajinikanth's latest release Lingaa.

"My prediction is that I collections on first day will be bigger than Lingaa and that's why I say Shankar is bigger than Rajinikant. I was a super huge fan of Rajinikant but now I shifted my loyalty to Shankar," he said.