It has been hardly a month since Rajinikanth's 2.0 hit the screens. Now, his followers are thrilled about his upcoming flick Petta, which is directed by Karthik Subbaraj of Pizza and Iraivi fame. The action-packed entertainer will hit the theatres on January 10.

For the past couple of years, we have been seeing a new version of Rajinikanth, who has reinvented himself with his choice of films. Until 2015, he had been doing typical commercial entertainers which showcased him in a larger-than-life role. However, when he joined hands with Pa Ranjith for Kabali, he had made up his mind to shed his 'mass image'.

Karthik Subbaraj, in a recent interview, reveals that Petta will bring back the old Rajinikanth, who has a greater mass appeal.

Pa Ranjith's Kabali and Kaala showed Thalaivar in a different light, which many of his fans approved of. Several people pointed out that these two films have missed capturing his evergreen histrionics.

However, Karthik Subbaraj, a self-confessed fan of the Superstar is confident of impressing Rajinikanth's ardent fans by bringing back the old Rajinikanth.

He said, "I would say that Petta will definitely bring back his mass appeal. Kaala and Kabali are both good films but the fans probably missed his 'larger-than-life mass appeal'. Petta film will bring that back. I'm also sure it comes with good, strong content. The mass appeal won't overshadow the content."

Subbaraj further added that the film will have a strong story and it won't be a blend of his old films. "It won't be like old Rajini films. It is a very stand-alone story and I wrote it specifically for Rajini. We have plenty of Rajini moments, the one that fans love to see. The story will be a fresh, stand-alone story. We've used a few shots of his mannerisms that might be like a tribute to his previous films. The name Kaali itself is a tribute to his previous Mullum Malarum film," he shared.