Kurseong: Rajinikanth is "surprised".

Thalaiva, who insisted he was in the hills solely as an "actor" to shoot a film and refused to take any political questions on Thursday, said he was surprised with the locations. In reel life, the superstar is hardly surprised at anything.

"I am surprised there are so many beautiful locations here but it has not been explored. Through this picture (film), the whole country will know this place and everything and (everyone) will explore it," said Rajinikanth.

The superstar's statement comes exactly a year after the hills were plunged into a 105-day indefinite strike marked by violence and deaths.

"I am really so happy to meet lovely people, good-hearted, kind-hearted. I am going to be here for 30 days in Darjeeling to shot the movie," Rajini said on Thursday.

Thalaiva had reached Kurseong on June 6 and has been shooting from the next day.

The superstar's presence in the hills will send a positive message. On Thursday, Mamata Banerjee sent her message - "best wishes" - to the superstar through state tourism minister Gautam Deb.

"The superstar had called chief minister Mamata Banerjee and she has sent her best wishes to the him," said Deb, who met the Rajini in Kurseong.

The minister said the shooting was taking place smoothly and the film team was happy with the help extended by the district administration.

Rajinikanth, shooting for the first time in Bengal, also said he was happy to be in the land of "Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Vivekananda, Subash Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore".

Deb said: "I told him that Bollywood is taking interest in the region and Anurag Basu shoot his film Barfi! Here. A lot of regional films are also shot here."

Anurag Basu, who shot Barfi! and Jagga Jasoos in Darjeeling, has been a redeemer for the region. Before that, Shah Rukh Khan's Main Hoon Na (2003) was the last major big-budget film set in the Darjeeling hills.

In 2010, Bollywood star Govinda had wondered why film-makers "are not coming to Darjeeling". Earlier, most Bollywood stars would be in Darjeeling for a shoot. While the Rajesh Khanna-Sharmila Tagore starrer Aradhana brought the area into the limelight, almost every yesteryear star has been to Darjeeling.

Amitabh Bachchan was here with Rekha for Do Anjane and with Rakhi for Barsat Ki Ek Raat. In the 1990s, Shah Rukh Khan shot in Darjeeling for Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.