Before any filmmaker dares to use Rajinikanth’s name on the screen, flashing neon lights will systematically spell out ‘Superstar’; the film’s title is irrelevant in the face of the mass hysteria that spreads like wildfire across the theater, with chants of ‘Thalaivar’ (Tamil for leader or boss) notching up octaves to reach a deafening roar.
Rajinikanth’s sheer being on screen is reason enough to celebrate for his army of devotees, with every stylized flick of his hair, his characteristic deadly swagger, or the simple motion of cocking his eyebrow before delivering a statement that might break the internet faster than a Kardashian could wish.
Even the late Sridevi was apparently not immune to the actor’s appeal when it came to urban legends. According to the Deccan Chronicle, when Rajinikanth was gravely ill in 2011, Sridevi went on a week-long fast in order to pray for his recovery. After working together in over 20 films since 1976’s Moondru Mudichu, the two performers formed an unbreakable relationship.
Long before he became the on-screen behemoth that he is today, Rajinikanth lived a modest life as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, working odd jobs to make ends meet, including a stint as a bus operator in Bangalore.
Before being discovered by Tamil cinema director K. Balachander, Rajinikanth dabbled in small-time mythological theater performances in his early years (with a little financial support from his bus pals). Rajinikanth would go on to become the superstar he is today thanks to the famed filmmaker, who was also essential in helping Sridevi’s transformation from child star to leading lady.
The actor learned Tamil under Balachander’s tutelage and made his film debut in 1975 with Apoorva Raagangal. The drama went on to win three Indian National Film Awards, including Best Feature in Tamil, and established Rajinikanth as one of the industry’s few big names at the time, alongside Sridevi and a certain Kamal Haasan. Before filmmaker S. P. Muthuraman redesigned his image in Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri; he was constrained to performing negative characters in cinema (1977). Since then, there has been no turning back.
Source: vogue-in