Rajinikanth's Kaala dog: stray that worked with the superstar is now worth millions

"Every dog has his day" a famous English proverb which is apt in case of Mani, a canine, which is part of Rajinikanth's forthcoming movie Kaala. He has become the most sought-after pet among Rajni fans who are willing to shell any desired amount.

Call it Rajinikanth's star power or Mani's luck, the life of the street dog has changed overnight. Not because people are willing to offer crores to own him, but for having a trainer, who treats the animal like is own child.

Simon, an animal trainer, found Mani in a street in Chennai. "Pa Ranjith sir was not happy with any of the dogs that I had shown. He kept rejecting one after the other," he tells in an interview with Behindwoods.

The trainer reveals that at some point of time he was worried as he might miss out the opportunity to work in Kaala. Simon has already worked in over 800-1000 movies over the last three decades.

Pa Ranjith had rejected close to 30 dogs when Simon spotted this dog and he sent a photo to the director, who finally gave a green signal. 

Training the dog brought in another set of troubles for Simon. He was given only a week to prepare him to shoot alongside the superstar. The dog also had to be vaccinated to ensure the safety of the film crew. 

Simon claims that their job gets easy when artists gel with the animals and Rajinikanth treated Mani well. Hence, they had a trouble-free shooting. He recalls that the superstar used to bring biscuits for Mani.

"Rajinikanth liked Mani's eyes," Simon remembers. 

The dog was discovered by Mani when it was around 1.6 years and now it is aged 2.6 years. It has already worked in a few more films that include, Mehendi Circus, Simon claims.

Simon also claims that people were willing to pay in crores for Mani after being part of a Rajinikanth film. "I received offers from Malaysia. People offered him Rs 2-3 crore. But I am not going to sale as I consider it like my baby," he said.