The Rajinikanth—Akshay Kumar sci-fi thriller 2.O hit the screens on November 29 in a massive opening. Rajini as well as Shankar had asserted many times that Akki is the real hero of the film. The Bollywood star has indeed proved his versatility in his Tamil debut and audiences and critics are lauding Akshay’s performance as ‘Birdman’ Pakshi Raja.
Akshay essays an ornithologist who turns a villainous birdman fighting with the government and mobile network providers to save the birds from cellphone radiation.
Do you know from where Shankar drew his inspiration for Dr. Pakshi Raja character? It was from none other than the real life personality and renowned ornithologist and naturalist Salim Ali. More often referred as the ‘Birdman of India’, Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across the country and wrote many books on birds.
Inspired by Salim Ali, Shankar has designed the looks of Pakshi Raja and portrayal as a simple unassuming man. The costumes and spectacles that Akki wore and the moustache and beard he sported replicated Salim Ali’s style.
