Rajnikanth

Shivaji Rao Gaekwad (born on December 12 1950) is the reigning superstar of Tamil filmdom a.k.a. as Kollywood. He is the highest paid actor in India. His screen name is Rajinikanth.

Early life

Rajinikanth was born on December 12 1950 in Karnataka, India as the fourth child in the Marathi family of Ramabai and Ramoji Rao. He lost his mother at the age of five. He had his schooling at the Acharya Patasala in Bangalore and then at the Vivekananda Balak Sangh, a unit of the Ramakrishna Mission.

Before starting his career in the film industry, he worked as a bus conductor for Karnataka State Transport Corporation in Bangalore. It was during this time that he nurtured his acting interests.

Acting career

A friend helped him to join the Madras Film institute and Rajinikanth completed basic acting course in 1974 at the age of 25.

First, he played supporting roles, beginning as a cancer patient in Apoorva Raagangal (1975), directed by K. Balachander, who assigned him his stage name Rajinikanth. After several villainous roles, his first positive role was Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri (1979), in which Rajinikanth played a failed lover in the first half and a do-gooder in the second.

After several hits in the Eighties, he played a Hindu saint in his 100th movie, Sri Raghavendra. Many others followed, among them dramas, comedies, and, at the end of the eighties, action-oriented family entertainers like Velaikkaran and Manidhan.

Several movies during his Nineties were successful, like Muthu or Badsha. At 53, his Baba released amid fanfare. Although the film grossed enough to cover its budget, it was viewed as a miserable showing and fell short of market expectations accumulating heavy losses for the distributors. Rajinikanth himself returned the losses back to the distributors who had immense faith in him. The whole affair cost him dear in terms of repute of making a comeback. Hit hard by the turnout for that movie, he was reluctant to accept any new offers until he was satisfied the script was a sure seler.

And then came along his next release, the successful Chandramukhi, a remake of the Malayalam movie Manichitrathazhu. His next movie, Sivaji, directed by S. Shankar, will be released in 2007.

Apart from Tamil, Rajinikanth has acted in over 160 movies, including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Bengali and all remakes of Tamil Movies. He has also acted in a low-budget Hollywood movie (Bloodstone in 1988).

Rajinikanth was awarded the Padma Bhushan award in the year 2000 and was rated as one of the most influential persons in South Asia by Asiaweek. He has 38,000 fan clubs . His fan clubs are known to be very devoted, deifying and exalting Rajinikanth to the status of immortals and are also know to be very contentious towards any criticisms towards their beloved hero.

Personal Life

Rajinikanth married his wife Latha on 26 February 1981. The wedding took place in the holy temple at Tirupathi. He has two daughters, Aishwarya and Soundarya. Aishwarya married actor Dhanush on 18 November 2004. The marriage was not approved by Rajini initially which led to intense media speculation forcing him eventually to accept the improper match half-heartedly.

Rajinikanth has claimed tutelage from Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Sri Raghavendra. Rajinikanth frequently makes pilgrimages to shrines in the Himalayas and Rishikesh.

Politics

In 1996, Rajinikanth supported the DMK-TMC-party during their election and helped them to defeat the ruling AIADMK party in the Tamilnadu assembly elections. But in the subsequent elections in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2004 his political clout has waned dramatically. For the 2006 Tamilnadu Assembly Elections, he refrained from vocally supporting any one particular party though he is ideologically closer to NDA front headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

His address to the people of Tamil Nadu to defeat PMK (which teamed up with the DMK) in the Lok Sabha elections held in 2004, went unheeded and witnessed the PMK cadres winning in all the constituencies they represented.

Later, he also patched up with the AIADMK leader Dr. J.Jayalalitha.

Filmography

Noughts

*2007 - Sivaji: The Boss
*2005 - Chandramukhi
*2002 - Baba

Nineties

*1999 - Padayappa songs
*1998 - Aandavan - Tamil dubbed version of Aatank Hi Aatank
*1997 - Arunachalam songs
*1995 - Badsha songs
*1995 - Pedarayudu (Telugu) (guest) songs
*1995 - Aatank Hi Aatank (Hindi) (guest)
*1995 - Muthu songs
*1995 - Bhagyadevta (Bengali) (guest)
*1994 - Veera songs
*1993 - Insaniyat Ke Devta (Hindi) (guest)
*1993 - Ejamaan songs
*1993 - Uzhaippali songs
*1993 - Valli (guest) songs
*1992 - Mannan songs
*1992 - Tyagi (Hindi) (guest)
*1992 - Annamalai songs
*1992 - Pandiyan songs
*1991 - Dharmadurai songs
*1991 - Hum (Hindi) songs
*1991 - Farishtay (Hindi) (guest)
*1991 - Khoon Ka Karz (Hindi) (guest)
*1991 - Phool Bane Angaray (Hindi) (guest)
*1991 - Naattukku Oru Nallavan
*1991 - Dalapathi songs
*1991 - Dalapathi (Telugu) songs
*1990 - Panakkaran songs
*1990 - Adhisaya Piravi songs

Eighties

*1989 - Rajadhi Raja songs
*1989 - Siva songs
*1989 - Raja Chinna Roja
*1989 - Mappillai songs
*1989 - Bhrashtachar (Hindi) (guest)
*1989 - Chaalbaaz (Hindi) (guest) songs
*1988 - Tamacha (Hindi) (guest)
*1988 - Guru Sishyan songs
*1988 - Dharmathin Thalaivan songs
*1988 - Blood Stone (English)
*1988 - Kodi Parakudhu songs
*1987 - Velaikaaran songs
*1987 - Insaff Kaun Karega (Hindi) (guest)
*1987 - Oorkkaavalan songs
*1987 - Manidhan songs
*1987 - Uttar Dakshan (Hindi) (guest)
*1986 - Mr Baarath songs
*1986 - Nann Adimai Illai
*1986 - Jeevana Poratam (Telugu)
*1986 - Viduthalai
*1986 - Bhagawan Dada (Hindi) (guest)
*1986 - Asli Naqli (Hindi) (guest)
*1986 - Dosti Dhushman (Hindi) (guest)
*1986 - Maaveeran songs
*1985 - Naan Sigappu Manidhan songs
*1985 - Mahaguru (Hindi) (guest)
*1985 - Un Kannil Neer Vazhindal
*1985 - Wafadaar (Hindi) (guest)
*1985 - Shri Ragavendhra
*1985 - Bewafai (Hindi) (guest)
*1985 - Padikkadhavan songs
*1984 - Meri Adaalat (Hindi) (guest)
*1984 - Naan Mahaan Alla songs
*1984 - Thambikku Endha Ooru songs
*1984 - Kai Kodukkum Kai
*1984 - Ethe Naasaval (Telugu)
*1984 - Anbulla Rajinikanth songs
*1984 - Gangvaa (Hindi) (guest)
*1984 - Nallavanuku Nallavan songs
*1984 - John Jani Janardhan (Hindi) (guest)
*1983 - Paayum Puli songs
*1983 - Thudikkum Karangal songs
*1983 - Andhaa Kaanoon (Hindi) (guest)
*1983 - Thaai Veedu songs
*1983 - Sivappu Suriyan
*1983 - Jeet Hamaari (Hindi) (guest)
*1983 - Adutha Varisu songs
*1983 - Thanga Magan songs
*1982 - Pokkiri Raja songs
*1982 - Thanikkattu Raja songs
*1982 - Ranga songs
*1982 - Pudhukkavidhai
*1982 - Engeyo Ketta Kural
*1982 - Moondru Mugam songs
*1981 - Thee
*1981 - Kazhugu
*1981 - Thillu Mullu songs
*1981 - Garjanai
*1981 - Garjanam (Malayalam)
*1981 - Netrikkan songs
*1981 - Garjane (Kannada)
*1981 - Raanuva Veeran
*1980 - Billa songs
*1980 - Ram Robert Rahim (Telugu)
*1980 - Anbukku Naan Adimai
*1980 - Kaali songs
*1980 - Mayadari Krishnudu (Telugu)
*1980 - Naan Potta Saval
*1980 - Johnny songs
*1980 - Kaali (Telugu)
*1980 - Ellam Un Kairasi
*1980 - Polladhavan songs
*1980 - Murattu Kaalai songs

Seventies

*1979 - Priya (Kannada)
*1979 - Kuppathu Raja
*1979 - Iddaru Asadhyule (Telugu)
*1979 - Alauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum (Malayalam) (guest)
*1979 - Ninaithale Inikkum
*1979 - Andhamaina Anubhavam (Telugu)
*1979 - Alavudinum Arputha Vilakkum (guest)
*1979 - Dharma Yuddam songs
*1979 - Naan Vazhavaippen (guest)
*1979 - Tiger (Telugu)
*1979 - Aarilirundhu Arubathu Varai songs
*1979 - Annai Or Aalayam songs
*1979 - Amma Evarikkaina Amma (guest)
*1978 - Shankar Salim Simon
*1978 - Killad Kittu (Kannada) (guest)
*1978 - Annadammula Savaal (Telugu) (guest)
*1978 - Aayiram Janmangal (guest)
*1978 - Maathu Tappadamaga (Kannada) (guest)
*1978 - Maangudi Minor
*1978 - Bairavi (debut as solo-hero)
*1978 - Ilamai Oonjaladukiradhu
*1978 - Sadhurangam (guest)
*1978 - Vanakkathukuriya Kadhaliye
*1978 - Vayasu Pilichindi (Telugu)
*1978 - Mullum Malarum songs
*1978 - Iraivan Kodutha Varam
*1978 - Thappida Thala (Kannada)
*1978 - Thappu Thalangal
*1978 - Aval Appadithan (guest)
*1978 - Thaai Meedhu Sathiyam (guest)
*1978 - En Kelvikku Enna Badhil
*1978 - Justice Gopinath (guest)
*1978 - Priya songs
*1977 - Avargal
*1977 - Kavikkuyil (guest)
*1977 - Raghupathi Raghavan Rajaram (guest)
*1977 - Chilakamma Cheppindi (Telugu) (guest)
*1977 - Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri
*1977 - Ondu Premada Kathe (Kannada)
*1977 - 16 Vayadhiniley
*1977 - Sahodara Saval (Kannada)
*1977 - Aadu Puli Attam
*1977 - Gaayathri
*1977 - Kumkuma Rakshe (Kannada) (guest)
*1977 - Aaru Pushpangal (guest)
*1977 - Tholireyi Gadichindi (Telugu) (guest)
*1977 - Aame Katha (Telugu) (guest)
*1977 - Galatta Samsara (Kannada) (guest)
*1976 - Katha Sangama (Kanada) (guest)
*1976 - Anthuleni Katha (Telugu) (guest)
*1976 - Moondru Mudichu
*1976 - Baalu Jenu (Kannada) (guest)
*1975 - Apoorva Raagangal (guest)

External links