The buzz around Superstar Rajinikanth is undeniable. His new film, ‘Coolie,’ hit theaters on Thursday, August 14. It made over ₹50 crore on its first day. What amazing timing! Because today, August 15, marks 50 years since the actor joined the industry. This is a golden moment for “Thalaiva” and his fans. Let’s look at his incredible journey and life.
Before becoming a legend, Rajinikanth was Shivaji Rao Gaekwad. He was born on December 12, 1950. His family was Marathi, and his father worked as a police head constable. Life took a tough turn when he lost his mother at just four years old. The family faced financial struggles. Young Shivaji took on various jobs. He worked as a coolie, carrying people’s luggage. He was also an office boy and later a bus conductor. Even with these hard jobs, he always held onto a big dream. He wanted to become a successful actor, a truly big person.
His path wasn’t easy. Rajinikanth faced deep poverty and hardship. He once shared a very honest truth at an event. He always felt a strong urge to get rich. This drive made him fearless. Yet, even with such strong will, there was a point in his life when he felt completely hopeless. He said in an interview, “Because of poverty, I sometimes worked as an office boy. Sometimes I carried people’s luggage as a coolie. I later started working as a carpenter. I know what poverty is very well. While dealing with poverty, a time came in my life when I was so scared that thoughts of ending myself even crossed my mind.”
An Actor in the Making
– Photo : Photo- YouTube
Even as a bus conductor, his acting passion shone through. He used to punch tickets in a unique, showy way. This special style made him popular among his fellow drivers and conductors. His friend, Raj Bahadur, played a huge part in his acting success. Raj Bahadur encouraged him to join the Madras Film Institute. Getting into the acting course was not simple. But other friends also chipped in to help. While studying acting, he learned the Tamil language. During this time, he met director K. Balachander. This meeting would change his life, as Balachander gave him his first big break.
A New Name, A New Beginning
– Photo : Social Media
It was the acclaimed Tamil director K. Balachander who gave Shivaji Rao Gaekwad his famous name, Rajinikanth. When Rajinikanth began his career, another actor, Shivaji Ganesan, was hugely popular in the Tamil film industry. To avoid any confusion between the two, K. Balachander suggested the name ‘Rajinikanth.’ The late K. Balachander also directed Rajinikanth’s very first film, ‘Apoorva Raagangal.’ Rajinikanth always regarded him as his mentor.
– Photo : Social Media
His debut film, ‘Apoorva Raagangal,’ hit screens on August 15, 1975. Rajinikanth was 25 years old at the time. In this first movie, he played a small negative role. He continued taking similar villain roles for a while. Then, offers for lead roles started pouring in. From there, he quickly climbed the ladder of success. Today, his devoted fans even see him as a divine figure. Everyone knows how important Rajinikanth is in the world of cinema.
Bollywood and Beyond
– Photo : Social Media
About eight years after starting his career in South Indian cinema, Rajinikanth stepped into Bollywood. His first Hindi film was ‘Andha Kanoon.’ This movie came out in 1983. He shared the screen with famous actors like Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Pran, Amrish Puri, and Danny Denzongpa. The film was a massive hit at the box office. It earned almost four times its production cost.
– Photo : Instagram @ amitabhbachchan
Many of Amitabh Bachchan’s films played a big role in Rajinikanth’s fame. Rajinikanth starred in remakes of more than a dozen of Bachchan’s hit movies. This also brought them very close as friends. Rajinikanth has often said that the remakes of Big B’s films truly made him a superstar.
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Once his career took off, Rajinikanth received countless film offers. He even set a record by completing 100 films in just his first 10 years in the industry. His 100th movie was ‘Sri Raghavendra.’ In this film, he played the role of the Hindu saint Raghavendra Swami.
A Superstar’s Generosity
– Photo : Instagram@rajinikanth
Fans shower Rajinikanth’s films with immense love. But here’s an amazing fact about the superstar. If his films don’t do well or flop, he returns the money to the distributors right away. He does this without any hesitation. Actor Akshay Kumar even spoke about this special trait at an event for the film ‘2.0.’ Akshay Kumar deeply admires this quality in Rajinikanth.
Love Stories and A Dream Achieved
Before entering the film world, Rajinikanth was a bus conductor. During that time, he fell in love with a girl named Nimmi. He shared this story in his biography, ‘The Name Is Rajinikanth.’ The girl he loved was named Nirmala. Rajinikanth lovingly called her Nimmi. He even credits Nimmi for who he is today. Nirmala was an MBBS student. Rajinikanth would often meet her. It was Nimmi who gave him money for his acting course. She wanted him to build his career. Rajinikanth began to dream of marrying Nimmi. However, destiny had other plans for them.
– Photo : PTI
Rajinikanth married Lata Rajinikanth in 1981. Their love story is quite heartwarming. Rajinikanth fell for Lata the moment he saw her. Lata had met him for a magazine interview. Their meetings continued, and love blossomed. They decided to spend their lives together. The couple has two daughters, Aishwarya and Soundarya. Rajinikanth truly fulfilled his dream of becoming a big person. He did this through his sheer hard work and strong will. He gained not just huge fame, but also great wealth. Reports suggest his net worth is 500 crore rupees.