After impressing audiences and critics alike, recent Tamil hit "Goli Soda" has earned the appreciation of superstar Rajinikanth, who praised its makers for making an "astonishing" film with children.

S.D. Vijay Milton directed the coming-of-age film about four children from Koyambedu market in the city.

"I'm astonished how the film was made in a place like Koyambedu market, especially making those kids perform so well. I called up the director and congratulated him for the good work. I also wished him luck for his next venture," Rajinikanth said in a statement.

N. Lingusamy, producer of "Goli Soda", is on a high after receiving praise from Rajinikanth.

"He congratulate me for backing an offbeat film. It was a proud moment for me as well as my production company. We spoke (on phone) for nearly an hour and he said that he has watched all the films made under our banner," Lingusamy said.

In the past, his banner Thirrupathi Brothers' has made films such as "Kumki" and "Vazhakku En 18/9".

A low-budget film, "Goli Soda", which released Jan 24, has emerged as the first Tamil hit of the year. It collected over Rs.8 crore in the first week in Tamil Nadu.