When Rajinikanth was born, he wrote his own life story and gave it to his parents. All joking aside, Rajinikanth is the living legend of Indian cinema. He has seen a level of stardom that no one will ever get to witness or can come close to it. Rajini sir has been the backbone of the South Industry and continues to be the performer till date.
During the early days of his movie career, he had bagged a film with a good part. At the time, money was tight for him, and it was a huge priority. They started discussing remuneration and started from Rs 10,000 and came down to Rs 6000. Then the conversation shifted to advance, and he asked for a thousand rupees. The producer said he didn't have the cash on him, and he will get his dues when the production manager arrives on the set tomorrow.
When the manager arrived, he was not clear on any dues to be paid. Rajini sir called up the producer, and he assured him that he would pay his advance before they applied his makeup. When the makeup artist arrived, he refused to do so until he cleared his dues. It led to a delay in shooting, and the producer arrived in a car to the AVM Studio. He started shouting at Rajini sir.
Do you think of yourself as a hero? You won't work until you get an advance. You have no role in the film. Get out!
He asked for a ride back to the house because he didn't have a car, and the producer refused. This was a highly insulting turn of events, and he took a vow that he would not return until he had his foreign car. Two years later, in classic Rajini style, he showed up at AVM Studio in ₹4.25 lakh with an Italian-made Fiat car. It feels like an incident that one should recreate in a Rajinikanth film.
It's truly art imitating life.
Rajinikanth is a huge phenomenon in Japan, and his films have done extremely well. To many Indians, it might come off as shocking, but if you're familiar with Japanese culture, one can see the appeal. If you've seen any anime, they enjoy extremely stylized and visual storytelling. His style of performance, swagger, and style translates extremely well. There are fan clubs with more than 3000 members, and they have embraced the south culture. His Japanese fans have learned the Tamil language and have visited Chennai many times. They've even imported auto rickshaws to Japan. Rajinikanth is truly the biggest global phenomenon there is.
All this success and fame isn't something that has been just handed to Rajinikanth. He's had to work extremely hard for it and had more than 10-20 releases every year during his prime. There was a cost to all this success because the constant work pressure got to him at one point.
He almost quit acting but was coaxed back into it by his Guru K Balachander. In the 2000s, however, Rajinikanth is roaring to work harder even though his health problems persist. There is a level of humbleness and curiosity that keeps him motivated to be working long hours at the age of 70.
Rajinikanth has become a superstar known for his tricks and style. However, the actor's ability to get into the skins of characters is widely underappreciated. His performances in movies like Bhuvana Oru Kelvi kuri and Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai showed a different side to him. There is a treasure trove of Rajini movies that prove he's not all frills.
During the shoot of Thillu Mullu, Rajinikanth was requested to interview for a magazine. Latha Rangachari came to meet Rajinikanth, and he was immediately taken aback by her. By the end of the interview, he was head over heels in love with her and asked Latha to marry.
She was shocked by it and just said that she'd talk to her parents about it. They both took their time to get to know one another and got married. What an interesting love story!
Rajinikanth, for his fans, is considered to be a demigod. His poster is showered with milk; people have made a shrine to his name. Rajini sir's fandom has even been a subject of Documentary. Did that affect him? Not really, as he's still one of the most grounded people living life with a lot of humility. There is something magical about him that enchants everyone.
