For cinematographer K.V.Anand, it was a dream project to work with superstar Rajnikanth in the Tamil film, 'Sivaji'. Looking back, Anand says, " Initially I was hesitant about doing 'Sivaji' since I was keen on directing my own film. When Shankar (director of the film) called me up, I was in doubt. But my family members asked "Are you crazy, this is a great opportunity, don't let it go. I joined Shankar and it has been a wonderful experience".

So how was it working with the super star?

"Rajnikanth is a thorough professional, very unassuming and punctual. There have been times when Shankar and I have arrived on the sets late. But Rajnikanth will be there on time. This punctuality is an asset to a director and cinematographer since things go as planned," says the ace cinematographer who won the national award for his debut film 'Thenmavin Kombathu', a Malayalam film in 1995.

"An often used word in Rajni's vocabulary is 'Sorry' and 'Thanks.' Whenever a shot was not done well, I used to get annoyed with my assistant, who would go and request Rajni for a retake. After the shoot, Rajnikanth would look at my assistant and ask, "Was it ok"? "He is a very simple man and easy to work with," adds Anand who turned director with 'Kana Kandein' in 2005.

This is the first time an Indian film has been produced on 4K, which means improved technology and better resolution. "Hollywood blockbusters like 'Spider Man 2' use this technology as it is more closer to the original image and has better resolution. 'Sivaji' is as good as any Hollywood film technically," he explains.

"Our aim in the film was to make Rajni look younger. We including Shankar, the costume designers and make-up artiste Banu worked towards that. Rajni wore wigs and costumes to give him a younger look and I choose those angles and lighting that would make him look appealing and young. The effort has paid off," says Anand.