Rajinikanth (b. 1950)

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Biography

Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bangla, and Malayalam. He is widely regarded to be one of the most successful and popular actors in the history of Indian cinema. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016, India's third and second highest civilian honours respectively, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019, the highest Indian award in the field of cinema, and the IFFI Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to world cinema.

Timeline

The story of Rajinikanth, told in moments.

1950 Birth

Born Shivaji Rao Gaikwad in Bangalore, India. Marathi-speaking family of modest means. Worked as a bus conductor for the Bangalore Transport Service before enrolling in acting school at the Madras Film Institute in his early 20s.

What did driving a bus teach you about performance? Was enrolling in acting school at your age a risk or a calling? Did your Marathi background help or hinder you in Tamil cinema?

1975 Event

Made his film debut in K. Balachander's Tamil drama Apoorva Raagangal. Played a series of villain roles at first. His flamboyant mannerisms and cigarette-flicking style turned heads. Nobody else moved like that on screen.

Were the villain roles frustrating or instructive? Where did the cigarette-flipping style come from? Did K. Balachander see something in you that you didn't?

1995 Event

Baashha became the highest-grossing Tamil film and cemented his superstar status. Muthu, released the same year, became a massive hit in Japan after its 1998 release there. Indian audiences lined up for days.

How did Baashha change your relationship with fame? What explains the phenomenon of Muthu in Japan? Is the audience worship uncomfortable or energizing?

2007 Event

Sivaji: The Boss became the first Tamil film to enter the 100 Crore Club. He later starred in Enthiran, a sci-fi film where he played both a scientist and a robot. 170 films across Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bangla, and Malayalam.

Does playing both a scientist and a robot in one film appeal to the bus conductor in you? What does the 100 Crore Club mean for Tamil cinema? After 170 films, which one surprised you most?

2019 Life

Received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest honor in cinema. Also holds the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. A bus conductor from Bangalore who became the biggest movie star in South India. Temples have been built in his honor.

What does it mean when temples are built in your honor? Is the Dadasaheb Phalke Award the peak, or is there still a climb? What would the bus conductor from Bangalore say to the superstar?