Rajinikanth
This book-length filmography and biography has been put together by Jammu- and Delhi- based scholars researching the life and films of the Thalaivaa
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their
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Authorship
The authors of this article are
Purva Desai, TNN | Nov 11, 2013 Rajnikanth beats Krrish! The Times of India
Rajinikanth’s remarkable heroines /By Filmy Keeda/ Raisa Nasreen /Book My Show May 21st, 2014
Rajinikant Movie List oocities
Personal details
Born: 12 December 1949, in Bangalore, Karnataka, at 11:54 P.M. Rajinikanth’s star/ ras(h)i is Sirvana/ Magaram.
Mother-tongue: Marathi.
Name given by parents Shiva ji Rao Gaekwad
Also known as: Thalaivar (the leader)
Height 5' 9" (1.75 m). His typical weight is 70 kg.
Address : 18, Raghava Veera Avenue, Poes Garden, Chennai-86
Family
Father: Ramoji Rao
Mother: Rambai
Brothers: Sathya Narayana Rao, Nageshwara Rao
Wife: Latha Rangachari (born 26 February 19??). She is the Principal of ‘The Ashram.’
Rajinikanth and Latha married on 26 Feb1981 at 4:30am at Tirupathi. They hosted their wedding reception on 14 March 1981 at 6am at the Taj Coromandel, Madras.
Children:
Aishwarya Dhanush
Soundarya Rajinikanth.
Son in law
The Tamil-Hindi actor and Tamil-English singer Dhanush, whose song Why this Kolaveri Di rocked all of India
Soundarya’s troubled marriage
In Sept 2016 Superstar Rajinikanth's younger daughter Soundarya has con firmed that she has sep arated from her industrialist hus band Ashwin Ramkumar [in 2015]and said that divorce talks were on.Soundarya is a graphic designer and filmmaker (`Kochadaiiyaan' director). Soundarya and Ashwin tied the knot at a grand wedding ceremony in 2010 which was attended by the who's who of the film, politics, and business world. They have a one-year-old son named Ved. (Rajni's daughter to part ways with husband, Sep 19 2016 : The Times of India)
Personal life
Rajinikanth was 31 when he married Latha Rangachari in 1981 in Tirupati. The actor’s wife presently runs a school named "The Ashram".
Rajinikanth is father to two daughters Aishwarya and Soundarya. While Aishwarya is married to south actor Dhanush who recently made his Bollywood debut too, Soundarya works as a director, producer and graphic designer and is married to industrialist Ashwin Ramkumar.
At the time of release of Ekta Kapoor’s “The Dirty Picture”, rumours went abuzz that Naseerudin Shah is based on Rajinikanth’s real life, as the actor has also starred with Silk Smitha in various films and there were alleged reports about their affair too. I
Despite most Indians being obsessed with fair skin, Rajinikanth wooed millions of hearts with his dark complexions, heavy-lidded black eyes and very peculiar facial features.
A multi-faceted megastar
Rajinikanth is a megastar of Indian cinema, who has actedin Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam and Telugu films, in addition to his mainstay, Tamil cinema. He has also acted in a Hollywood film, Dwight H. Little’s Bloodstone. However, he has never acted in a film in his mother tongue.
Rajinikanth is a megastar of Tamil films but the actor is not a Tamil by origin. His mother-tongue is Marathi.
Besides being an actor par excellence, Rajinikanth has worked as a producer and screenwriter too. The actor is also a philanthropist, spiritualist and serves as an influence in the Dravidian politics.
Rajinikanth wrote the screenplay for 2002 film ‘Baba’. Sadly, the film bombed at the Box office and Rajinikanth himself repaid the losses incurred by the distributors
Career before joining the films
Rajinikanth hails from a very poor background. He lost his mother when he was just nine years old and his father was a police Constable. Rajinikanth has two brothers and one sister and he is the youngest of the four siblings.
Born in Bangalore, Rajinikanth attended the Government Model Primary School at Gavipuram and gained his primary education in Kannada language.
Rajinikanth joined Bangalore Transport Service (BTS) as a bus conductor before he entered the world of acting. The actor even worked as a coolie in his community for sometime.
During 1966 to 1973, Rajinikanth had to work in many places between Bangalore and Madras.
Rajinikanth used to participate in stage plays and it was Kannada playwright and director Topi Muniappa who spotted him and gave a chance to act in mythological moral plays.
Early life: How Shiva-ji became Rajinikanth
Rediff, January 16, 2013/ By Naman Ramachandran, excerpted from his book, Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography. (Penguin Viking/Rs 699)
The Vanivilas Hospital is located at Bangalore's Krishnarajendra Road near the busy Kalasipalyam bus station.
The new hospital was exclusively for women and children, and had 250 beds. It is on one of these beds that a son was born to police constable Ranoji Rao Gaekwad and his wife Ramabai. The Gaekwads were of Marathi heritage from the then Bombay state (now divided into Maharashtra and Gujarat), but had lived for a long time in Bangalore, with Ranoji being born in the city.
During her pregnancy, Ramabai's face had an almost effervescent glow, something that was noticed by the women occupying the neighbouring beds.
The baby was named Shiva-ji after the revered Maratha warrior who enjoys an almost divine status amongst the Maharashtrian community.
The child Shiva-ji, born on Tuesday, 12 December 1950, had no inkling that in his youth he would be forced to labour as a coolie at Kalasipalyam, at a striking distance from his birthplace, or indeed that he would be accorded the near-divine status of his namesake as he grew older.
newShiva-ji had completed his twelfth standard at Acharya Pathashala and was devoting more and more time to acting in plays. With Ranoji inquired about the possibility of university, Shiva-ji's reply was that he had lost interest in further education.
Then, Shiva-ji worked briefly at Mysore Machinery in Bangalore's Seshadripuram locality. Later, a relative gave him a job loading sacks of rice onto trucks at 10 paise per sack. The hours were long, the work was hard and the pay was of course a pittance, but at least Shiva-ji was earning some money.
Satyanarayana (his elder brother) decided to intervene at this moment.
'Rather than him roaming around doing plays and odd jobs and not knowing when he was coming or going, or just sitting around idly, which was not correct, I spoke to a relative of ours called Venkoba Rao who was a senior inspector of police, and he got him a job as a bus conductor,' says Satyanarayana.
It wasn't as simple as a recommendation from Rao and the job being granted; Shiva-ji had to sit for an entrance exam and obtain a conductor's licence.
Shiva-ji cleared the exam, got the licence and received a bus conductor's badge from the Bangalore Transport Service, still known locally as the BTS though the official name now is the lofty Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation. The year was 1970.
Shiva-ji remembers clearly his time of flux before he joined the BTS. 'I'm an ordinary person. Before I was a bus conductor, I was an office boy, a coolie, a carpenter,' he recalls. It was at the BTS that Shiva-ji met the person who he describes today as his best friend. Raja Badhar was the driver on the bus on which Shiva-ji was the conductor.
The driver-conductor pair was thrown together a lot, working the grueling early morning shift that began at 6 am and ended at 2 pm.
'There was no one faster than him in issuing tickets,' remembers Badhar. 'He would give out tickets with a flourish, return change in style. It was all about style. Passengers would look on an amazement.' Laughingly, he adds, 'He would always flick back his forelock in those days, that's why he is bald today.'
Passengers would let earlier buses go empty and wait for the bus where the entertaining conductor was on duty and crowd in. Shiva-ji definitely knew how to work a crowd and play to the gallery even then.
Early career in cinema
It was only in 1973 that after being pushed by his friend and co-worker Raj Bahadur, Rajinikanth decided to join Madras Film Institute. His family was not in support of his decision. But in his tough days, it was his friend Raj Bahadur who supported the actor. He was performing in a stage play and got noticed by Tamil film director K. Balachander.
Rajinikanth signed his first movie Katha Sangama in 1975 that also starred Apoorva Raagangal. Call it luck – the movie was a hit at the Box office and Rajinikanth became a star overnight. The fact that the film also starred another popular south actor Kamal Haasan, it left Rajinikanth with very little to show on screen. Rajinikanth played the role of an abusive husband of Srividya. Rajinikanth’s debut film was directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor. Fortunately, the movie went on to become National Film Award-winning film and was awarded Best Feature Film in Tamil.
Soon after the success of his debut film, Rajinikanth worked in several Kannada, Telugu and Tamil films. All this while, the actor portrayed a variety of roles and tried hands at different genres of films too. Surprisingly, it was only in 1977 that Rajinikanth accepted his first-ever lead role in the Telugu film Chilakamma Cheppindi. I
While Rajinikanth always called his debut film director K. Balachander his mentor, it was S. P. Muthuraman who eventually revamped his image that led to this unmatched popularity the actor enjoys today. Since then, Muthuraman has worked with Rajinikanth in 25 films till the 1990s.
In the subsequent year, Rajinikanth was cast as the main hero in 1978 film ‘Bairavi’ and it was through this movie that he got the superstar title.
Towards the end of 1980s, Rajinikanth had become a highly popular actor in South cinema but then his fans were taken by a shock as the actor abruptly decided to quit acting, however he held back.
After a little gap and much hullabaloo about his quit acting, Rajinikanth made a comeback with the 1980 Tamil film ‘Billa’, which was a remake of the Bollywood film ‘Don’. The film became his first ever commercial success.
Later career
When the much anticipated film ‘Rana’ got shelved, Rajinikanth played his ‘Enthiran’ character, Chitti, in the Bollywood Sci-fi film Ra.One in 2011.
Rajinikanth has also acted in 2005 film “Chandramukhi”, a remake of Malayalam hit classic Manichitrathazhu. The film broke the record of being the longest running Tamil film as of 2007.
Rajinikanth worked with director Shankar for the Sci-fi film “Enthiran” that was released worldwide in 2010 and it was the most expensive Indian film ever made. Moreover, it became the highest-grossing Tamil film in India and Rajinikanth was paid Rs 45 crore for the film.
2018: Weak business of Kaala Karikaalan troubles 2.0
Rajnikanth's [June 2018] release 'Kaala [Karikaalan]', might put '2.0' in a tight spot. Reports suggest that 'Kaala' didnt do well at the ticket window, especially, with the Hindi version as it didnt even manage to collect Rs. 10 crore which has left the distributors in worry for his next release.
The report further suggests that '2.0' has gone over-budget. In fact, it has been made on a budget of Rs 450 crore, which makes it the most expensive Indian film ever. So in order to recover the invested costs, it might be impossible to recover if it receives the same amount of response like 'Kaala'.
‘2.0’: Rajinikanth-Akshay Kumar starrer gets another Rs 100 crore added to inflated budget?
‘2.0’, starring Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar in lead roles, reportedly had a budget of Rs 400 crore. If latest reports are anything to go by, then the makers have added another Rs 100 crore to their already inflated budget to complete high-end post-production work.
According to reports, director Shankar is trying his best to meet release date deadlines, but not by compromising on the post-production and VFX factors. While aiming to match up to international standards, the director who is also known for his technical wizardry, is reportedly going all out. This, in turn, has the producers reportedly shelling out Rs 100 crore more on the sci-fi flick.
The film which has long been in the making, will now reportedly release in January 2019.
Hindi-Urdu cinema
Talking of his Bollywood stint, Rajinikanth made his Bollywood debut [as the leading man] with the 1983 film ‘Andha Kanoon’ that also featured Amitabh Bachchan [in a smaller role] and Hema Malini. Luckily, the film was one of the highest grossing films of that time
South megastar Rajinikanth has worked with Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in films like "Geraftaar" and "Humm", both of which have been successful at the Box Office.
Highest paid actor
Whatever Rajinikanth does becomes famous and even a superstar like Shahrukh Khan couldn't resist from making Rajinikanth do a cameo in his film. He is the highest paid actor in India and the second highest in Asia. According to reports in the media, after the success of Sivaji (2007), Rajinikanth's fee of Rs 26 crores made him the highest-paid Asian actor after Jackie Chan.
Rajinikanth was named as one of the most influential persons in South Asia by Asiaweek? Not just this. He was also named by Forbes India as the most influential Indian of the year 2010.
Rajinikanth's film Enthiran is the only Tamil film that made it into IMDb's Top 50 films from around the world list in 2010. The film has been included as a case study in an IIM-A postgraduate elective course, Contemporary Film Industry: A Business Perspective. The sci-fi Enthiran is also the highest grossing Indian film of all time.
Smoking
Though Rajinikanth has always stayed away from any major controversies, but the actor was condemned by Pattali Makkal Katchi leader S. Ramadoss for smoking and posing with beedis in his films. He faced criticism for spoiling Tamil youth by glorifying smoking and drinking. [Indpaedia’s adminiration for the Thalaivaa is no secret. However, we have edited out all photographs showing him smoke.]
Rajinikanth’s signature gesture - flipping a cigarette in the air and catching it in his mouth – has been a favourite among his fans even today.
Health
In 2011, during the initial days of photography and shooting for film ‘Rana’, Rajinikanth suffered a mild food borne illness that led to some medical complications, for which the actor was treated at St. Isabel's Hospital.
Since then, the actor’s health has become a matter of concern for everyone. Soon after this illness, Rajinikanth suffered from breathlessness and fever and was eventually diagnosed with bronchitis and was kept in ICU for a few days.
Surprisingly, as Rajinikanth’s health continued to deteriorate, there were even rumours and reports that the actor has died and it created quite uproar among his fans. ‘Rajinikanth Dead’ started to trend at the top on Twitter and became most searched term on Google in India.
Later, Rajinikanth was again admitted to hospital because of recurring respiratory and gastrointestinal problems. During this time, many reports did rounds that the actor required a kidney transplantation, though his son-in-law Dhanush rubbished any such reports.
If reports are to be believed, the reason behind Rajinikanth’s sudden illness and deteriorating health was stress from rapid weight-loss and changes in diet along with withdrawal of alcohol consumption and smoking cessation.
Spirituality
Rajinikanth is a devout person. His spiritual guru is Satchithananda Swamiji and his favourite saint Shri Raghavendra.
Rajinikanth is a strong believer of spirituality and is a follower of Hinduism. The actor also enjoys reading books on similar topics. He visits temples prior to the release of each of his films.
Among Rajinikanth’s favourite spiritual leaders are names such as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Satchidananda, Ragavendra Swami, Mahavatar Babaji and and Ramana Maharishi. He occasionally enjoys pilgrimage to the Himalayas too.
Rajinikanth woos everyone with his on-screen stunts and to stay fit, the actor practices yoga and meditation on a regular basis.
Politics
1995-2011
Rajinikanth has a slight connection with Indian politics too. In 1995, the actor began supporting the Indian National Congres after meeting Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. It was being said that with his support, Congres even may win up to 130 seats in Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Later, when Congres aligned with AIADMK for the assembly election in Tamil Nadu, Rajinikanth changed loyalties and gave his support to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-Tamil Maanila Congres (TMC) alliance
After all this hullabaloo, Rajinikanth fans strongly speculated his entry in politics and they even began a political party in 2008, which was named the Desiya Dravadar Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (DDMMK), introducing its own flag and symbol for the party.
However, clarifying his stand, Rajnikanth issued an open letter stating that he had no connection with these events and warned fans not to indulge in such activities. He even mentioned that he has no interest to join active politics.
In 2011, Rajinikanth was upfront when he supported the anti-corruption movement led by Gandhian Anna Hazare. The actor was kind enough to offer his marriage hall, Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam in Chennai free of cost for the India Against Corruption members to hold their fast.
2017: Hints at cleaning up politics
HIGHLIGHTS
Rajinikanth's recent speech triggered speculation as to whether he would finally choose the political path.
His association with PM Modi gives rise to conjectures that he may take the political plunge with BJP backing.
Rajinikanth's welcome but he has to take call first: [BJP president] Amit Shah
Rajinikanth faces protest, fringe group asks Thalaiva to stay out of politics
Fringe group opposes Rajinikanth's political debut, police step up the security
Actor Rajinikanth says political system rotten, asks fans to be war-ready
CHENNAI: Actor Rajnikanth's recent speech to fans, calling for changing "the system" and preparing for "a war", though predictably ambiguous, has set off a fierce political debate.
"Rajnikanth has maintained contact with the BJP for a long time, but never political," said senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu and Rajya Sabha member L Ganesan.
"First let him decide if he wants to come to politics. BJP wants good people," said Ganesan, who feels the actor, by making such statements, may be trying to feel the pulse of the people.
Post Jayalalithaa, new leaders have emerged on the horizon, but few with the kind of fan base and popularity that Rajnikanth boasts.
The actor's entry into politics could change the fortunes of politicians like DMK working president M K Stalin and less tested leaders like O Panneerselvam and chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who head the two rival AIADMK factions.
With former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's death and an ailing DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi retiring from politics, Rajinikanth could dramatically change the bipolar nature that marked Tamil politics for four or five decades.
Stalin is yet to prove himself as an election winner and a divided AIADMK is vulnerable. Twenty-one years ago, Rajnikanth raised his voice (against former chief minister J Jayalalithaa with his famous campaign slogan, "even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa is voted to power). "It was the right time. People wanted change."
AIADMK was routed in the 1996 assembly election. Later, he patched up with Jayalalithaa and distanced himself from politics. Today, the actor appears inclined to dabble in it. Whatever he does, the Rajini-style politics could spice up Tamil Nadu in the coming days.
Not everyone wants the ‘Kannadiga’ Thalaivaa to be in politics
(Rajinikanth fans stage protest against fringe outfits | PTI | May 23, 2017)
CHENNAI: Fans of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth - staged a protest against fringe outfits opposed to his political entry.
The protestors also tried to burn an effigy but were stopped by police. Twenty-five people were detained and lodged at a marriage hall in Tondiarpet.
Satya, a Rajini fan who coordinated Tuesday's protest, said the effigy they tried to burn did not represent any individual but those opposed to the actor's entry into politics.
"It is a symbolic protest," he said.
Fringe pro-Tamil outfit Tamizhar Munnetra Padai had opposed the 'Kabali' star's entry into politics and burned his effigy at the busy Cathedral Road, claiming that he was a Kannadiga.
Seeman, leader of the political outfit 'Naam Tamizhar', has also opposed Rajinikanth's political entry.
Rajinikanth's Kannada origins are often a focal point of discussion in Tamil Nadu, with pro-Tamil groups raising the pitch whenever the Cauvery river water sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka escalates.
The actor had, however, last week asserted his Tamil identity, saying his native place was a village in Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu.
"Naan pachai Tamizhan (I am a pure Tamil)....if you ask me to get out and throw me away, I will land only in the Himalayas (which he frequents) and not in any other state," he had said.
2017, Dec: Rajini confirms entry into politics
Abdullah.Nurullah | On Dec 31, Rajini announces year’s most awaited party | The Times of India
Vows ‘Spiritual Politics’, Will Contest All Seats In Next TN Polls
Chennai: More than 22 years after he gave a call to “save Tamil Nadu from Jayalalithaa”, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth sought to occupy the political space vacated by the AIADMK supremo and DMK president M Karunanidhi, announcing his entry into politics. He, however, did not spell out the name of his party or his policies.
After five days of interaction with his fans following AIADMK rebel T T V Dhinakaran’s victory in the RK Nagar byelection, Rajinikanth said he would float a political party that would contest all the 234 assembly constituencies in the state. “My political entry is confirmed. This is the need of the hour,” said Rajini, calling for an honest and transparent system of governance to uproot corruption and practise “spiritual politics”.
Political reactions to the 67-year-old actor’s entry varied from caution to confrontation. While DMK was silent, BJP was the first party to welcome Rajini’s announcement. Tamil nationalist outfit Naam Tamizhar criticised the actor, referring to his non-Tamil roots.
Constantly cheered by fans, Rajini took on AIADMK without naming it. “Political developments in the past year have brought shame to the people here,” he said.
“In the olden days, when a king invaded a country, his men went about plundering the coffers. Generals and soldiers would loot the people on the losing side. Today, however, politicians, under the guise of democracy, are looting their own people,” he added.
The superstar asked his fans to take the message to every street in every village of Tamil Nadu.
‘Don’t want cadres, but guardians’
First, we must integrate the registered and unregistered fans associations and bring them under one umbrella. We must then prepare to face the election through democratic means. Until then, there is no need to criticise other politicians or hold agitations. There are many others already doing that,” Rajini told fans.
The film star asked his supporters to strengthen the fans association through an enrolment drive. “Bring all those around you to the association, be it the young, the old, the illiterate or the educated.” Fans of Rajinikanth have waited for about three decades to turn into cadres. “I do not want cadres. I want guardians capable of questioning erring legislators, officials and even partymen. I will just be a representative of the people who will supervise these guardians,” said Rajini He promised his fans that he was not entering politics for fame, money or power. “You have already given me much more than I could ever dream of. The throne came my way back in 1996, but I pushed it away. If I did not want the throne at 45, why would I want it now when I am 68?” Rajini said.
Previous forays into politics
Ready for release
It has been in the making for long. Rajinikanth’s announcement that he will form a political party was a culmination of expectations of a million fans
1995
“Bomb culture is spreading in Tamil Nadu”, this was Rajinikanth’s first political statement, referring to a crude bomb blast near Mani Ratnam’s residence, at the silver jubilee function of 'Baasha'
1996
“Even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa returns to power.” DMK and TMC, a breakaway faction of Congress, swept the Lok Sabha and assembly polls
2002
Promised to develop a people’s movement to interlink rivers 2004
Pledged support for BJP indirectly by letting in camera crew of television news channels when he was casting his vote
2004
Termed J Jayalalithaa as ‘dhairya Lakshmi’ at a felicitation function Kept away from politics for a while. During every election, a statement was issued asking political parties not to use his name or image to seek votes
Dec 31, 2017
Made his first official statement about entering politics. “I will launch my party in time for the next assembly elections and put up candidates in all 234 seats. I will practise spiritual politics, which is above caste, creed and religion.”
March 2018
Spoke about giving MGR’s rule. “I am not MGR. But I can give a pro-poor rule like MGR,” he said, while addressing students of a private university
March 2020
“I want to see an uprising and wave for a change from people. I will come to politics then. It is not easy to take on AIADMK and DMK, with their established base and money bags. I will not be the CM. Will guide from behind.”
Dec 3, 2020
“I will launch my political party in January. An announcement will be made on December 31, 2020”
Rajini Makkal Mandram
As on 4 Dec 2020
Jaya Menon and D Govardan, December 4, 2020: The Times of India
From: Jaya Menon and D Govardan, December 4, 2020: The Times of India
Rajini has announced his entry into politics on 4 Dec 2020. On that day this, according to Jaya Menon and D Govardan,is where the star stood politically.. In 1973, when M G Ramachandran rebelled against M Karunanidhi and formed ADMK, he took with him a chunk of the DMK’s frontline leaders and grassroot workers. But his fan clubs, the Mandrams, named after his films ‘Urimai Kural’ and ‘Naalai Namadhe’ formed the backbone of his new party. Three years later, ADMK swept the 1977 assembly election. Will actor Rajinikanth, who will turn 70 soon, repeat the MGR magic? Or even replicate the success of N T Rama Rao, who floated Telugu Desam in 1982 and defeated the Congress within a year?
The actor’s fans, friends and associates are confident that Rajinikanth’s yet-to-be-named new party would storm the Dravidian arena and sweep the April 2021 assembly election. But that’s easier said than done as it is a David versus Goliath battle. With barely five months to go for the election, Rajini and his band of ‘ rasigars’ are pitted against the two Dravidian giants, the ruling AIADMK and the DMK, who have been preparing for the 2021 election ever since the outcome of the last one.
While the making of a political party could prove a daunting task, there’s more. For any party, the booth committees form the backbone of its election machinery. While his associates claim that 80% of the work has been completed, Rajini’s fans, who constitute these committees, have little political experience. The actor is expected to rope in political experts and strategists, but his dithering over the years has cut into precious time required for the massive task of transforming fans into cadres.
R S S ideologue and Rajini’s closest advisor S Gurumurthy dismisses the potential hurdles saying his mere entry into politics would create a groundswell of support among people. “After Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, politics shifted from personalities to party. Now the focus would be on Rajini,” said Gurumurthy. “He’s an honest man wanting to do good for the people and a spiritual leader…these are features not seen in any leader in TN today,” he said.
With the pandemic proving a major dampener, Rajini, who has health issues, will have to depend on 3D holographic projection technology to reach people. How effective such a campaign would be remains to be seen. “But imagine 20 Rajnikanths walking on the streets of TN,” said Gurumurthy gleefully.
There’s the biggest challenge yet – choosing the ideal partners to face the election. Pressure from the BJP has been immense not just for him to enter politics but to team up with it to break the Dravidian stranglehold over Tamil Nadu. Close associates have emphasized the actor’s apprehension in teaming up with the BJP for fear of losing minority votes. Which path he chooses could define the actor’s political fate.
The Arjuna who will be Rajini’s ‘sarathi’ in the virtual world Sixty-year-old Arjuna Murthy, a BSc Chemistry graduate, was a confidant of Murasoli Maran for nearly 7 years. Post that, Murthy took a business detour to mentor his daughter Lakshmi Deepa at Yeldi Softcom in creating a nearfield-communication-technology-driven payments platform. Negotiations with American Express for a stake sale dropped at the last moment over valuation issues.
Since then, Murthy has been busy hobnobbing with central leaders of the BJP. His wife and Union finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman are classmates and this helped forge a closer bond between Murthy and several senior BJP leaders. Before joining Rajinikanth’s proposed political party as its chief coordinator, Murthy was heading the BJP’s state intellectual wing. In fact, he had joined the BJP only recently.
Tamilaruvi Manian is an orator who could speak for hours on Tamil literature, especially about Bharathiyar and Bharathidasan. But politics was not his cup of tea. He not only failed to have a successful political career, but also was never in the habit of clinging on to one party for long.
Drawn by former chief minister of Tamil Nadu K Kamaraj, Manian dabbled in both the Indian National Congress and later in Congress (O). After the demise of Kamaraj, he shifted base to Janata Party. He joined hands with former Karnataka chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde, who launched Lok Sakthi party and became its Tamil Nadu president.
There was a time he backed Vaiko for CM post and projected it as his lifetime goal. He travelled across Europe and spoke in support of LTTE. Later, he went back to Congress. He was considered close to G K Moopanar and later his son G K Vasan. When his attempts to haggle a nomination to the Parliament and later to contest from Mylapore assembly seat in 2006 elections did not fructify, he fell out with Vasan.
Manian, who had earlier written a series ‘The Killers of Gandhi’ targeting R S S, vowed to work to make the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi India’s PM in 2014. In the same year, he launched ‘ Gandhiya Makkal Iyakkam’ and voiced harmful effects of liquor. Subsequently, he organized a big rally of Rajinikanth fans in Trichy to show the actor about the power of his fan base. “There are three lakh cadres of Gandhiya Makkal Iyakkam ready to support and put up flags in every village of Tamil Nadu, the moment Rajinikanth announces his entry into politics,” Manian said a few months ago. It is now up to Rajinikanth to change the political fortunes of Manian.
29 Dec 2020: Rajini junks political plans after ‘warning from God’
Rajini junks political plans after ‘warning from God’
D.Govardan @timesgroup.com
Chennai:
In the climax of his 2002 flop ‘Baba’, Rajinikanth makes a last-minute return from sanyaas to sociopolitical life. On Tuesday, the actor made a virtual repeat of the theme, this time in reverse, going back on his promise to launch a political party.
“I regret to announce that I am not in a position to launch a party and enter politics. Only I know the pain behind this announcement. This will come as a disappointment to those part of RMM (Rajini Makkal Mandram), my fans and people. Forgive me,” Rajinikanth said in a three-page statement. “Some people may ridicule me. But, fearing them, I cannot sacrifice those who trust and travel with me,” he said.
Rajinikanth, who was shooting in Hyderabad for his latest movie last week, was hospitalised for three days with complaints of fluctuating blood pressure after four of the crew members tested positive for Covid-19. He tested negative.
The announcement came as a shock for some, disappointment for some others, who were anticipating the actor’s promised December 31 announcement. Fans took to social media to express their dismay, yet many wished him good health. Some regrouped in front of his Poes Garden residence in a last-ditch attempt to make Rajini reconsider his decision.
R S S ideologue and Tuglak editor S Gurumurthy termed Rajinikanth’s decision “inevitable”. He hoped he would still make an impact in the coming elections as he did in the 1996 state polls (when the actor had issued a statement against Jayalalithaa), which the DMK-TMC alliance won with a big majority.
In his statement, Rajinikanth said, “Fluctuating BP is harmful for my transplanted kidney. I considered it as a warning from God.
2023: Yogi Adityanath
CHENNAI: Superstar Rajinikanth on Monday said he has a
habit of respectfully touching feet of a 'sanyasi' or 'yogi'
regardless of that person's age.
The actor's remarks came in response to a reporter's query in Chennai over the "controversy" surrounding his touching the feet of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath recently during his visit to Lucknow.
Love of Tamil culture
Though he was born in Karnataka to a Marathi-speaking family, Rajinikanth has assimilated so thoroughly in the state of his adoption that he has never acted in a Marathi film. Understandably he considers the city that has given him most of his enormous fortune and unparalleled fame his favourite city.
The megastar’s favourite novels are Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan and T. Janakiraman's Amma Vanthal, while his favourite writer is Jayagandhan and his favourite poet Kannadasan. He considers Bharathiar the 'real rebel poet.' Rajinikanth's favourite musician is the man who ruled most of India in the mid-80s and early 1990s, Illayaraja. Chandrababu is his favourite singer.
Rajinikanth is quite neutral politically. He has nice things to say about almost every historic Tamil leader, across the spectrum. He calls Kamarajar the real "Padikatha Methai;" Periyar the real spiritualist; Annadurai the great leader; and Kalaigar the only leader for the Tamil community. His favourite speaker is Vattal Nagaraj.
His titles for previous Tamil megastars are ‘Guardian of Tamil Cinema’ for M.G.R. and ‘Dictionary of Tamil Cinema’ for Sivaji Ganesan. He considers Kamal Haasan his favourite Indian actor. Actress Sri Priya is his most unforgettable friend. Among Hindi actresses Rekha is his favourite. Veera Kesari (Kannada) is his favourite film.
However, he is known to reserve his highest affection for his mentor, director K.Balachander. Balachander’s letter of appreciation for Rajinikanth’s performance in the film "Mullum Malarum" is the superstar’s most valued treasure.
Adulation of fans
The South megastar Rajinikanth needs no special mention as the entire nation loves him. His has a strong fan following. However, the actor chooses to be simple and rooted. 22 years ago, three of his fans died in an accident on their way back from his birthday celebrations in Chennai. After that, Rajinikanth celebrates his birthday outside the city.
Rajinikanth is worshipped like God by his fans and that’s the reason crazy Rajinikanth fans conduct poojas with his cutouts and fast for the whole day whenever there’s a new film being released.
Strangely, no director has even dared to show Rajinikanth dead in the end of any of his film because of the fear of if that happens, the movie lovers and his fans may just burn the cinema halls.
Unlike many celebrities that enjoy stardom for a short period of time and then witness a downfall, Rajinikanth has been a Tamil mega star right form the 70s and even today.
Rajinikanth enjoys such popularity among people down South that movie buffs would do anything to buy an opening day ticket of his movies and even if that means paying exorbitant prices, it never really mattered.
It was only after 1995 that all of Rajinikanth films started running all over India, even outside Southern states. In order to make his film accessible to everyone across India, the films were especially dubbed in regional Indian languages and Hindi.
Rajinikanth’s popularity can be clearly attributed to “his uniquely styled dialogues and peculiarity in films, as well as his political statements and philanthropy.” Furthermore, his larger-than-life super hero appearance in films has also contributed to this.
On a lighter note, ‘Rajinikanth jokes’ or satirical facts have been quite popular and viral on social networks, Internet and in forms of text messages on mobile. Even an iPad application has been designed deriving inspiration from these hilarious facts. [Far from being satires these are adulatory snippets that show him as a superman who can save humanity and do the impossible. Examples elsewhere in this article.]
Rajinikanth's fans believe that the actor can do anything on the silver screen. In fact, Rajinikanth has not died on-screen for many years now. The directors fear that killing his character will send fans on a rampage. Rajinikanth is the first Indian actor to have appeared in different forms of cinema like black-and-white, colour, 3D and motion capture.
Rajinikanth is the only actor based on whom CBSE syllabus has a chapter called ‘From Bus Conductor to Superstar’ which comes under the category Dignity of Work
Rajinikanth appeared on Twitter for the very first time on 5th of May 2014 and he instantly broke the record for the first day followers by any Indian movie star by getting over 2.5 lakh followers.
Why Rajnikanth is India's most loved superhero
Here's a list of reasons that make Rajnikanth a superhero and that too, India's most loved!
Style- Like every superhero (Superman's red underwear, Spiderman's web costume, Batman's black mask, to name a few), our very own Rajnikanth aka Thalaivaa aka Boss has a style or rather styles that are unique to him. For generations, he has inspired Tamil and Bollywood actors. From the famous cigarette flipping act to lighting it with his revolver, Rajnikanth entertains like no other. Another peculiar act he does on screen is the way he wears his goggles. Normal humans being will have to try hard to flip it the Rajni way. He flips the glasses from his elbows before they turn up in the air and magically sit on his face. And to get the Rajni look, the man does not even use a comb. His hands suffice. And of course, Rajnikanth never warns the villains in his films. He just throws a powerful dialogue that seems to work! Another trademark of Rajnikanth is his white Thundu or large stole that is always draped neatly and rests on his shoulder. He comes second to none!
Popularity- He is a larger than life figure in films and in reality too. A villain who became a hero by default, he is one of the highest paid Indian actors. From being mentioned in a school syllabus to being popular in Japan (so much so that Prime Minster Manmohan Singh spoke about the latter's film as an example to highlight indo-Japanese relations), Rajnikanth is unbeatable. Even the badhshah of Bollywood, SRK dedicated a song to the Thalaivaa in his record breaking film , Chennai Express.
So popular is the actor and cultural icon that Rajnikanth jokes are perhaps the most popular that exist! A few examples of such jokes: "When Rajnikanth stares at the sun in anger, the sun hides behind the moon and this phenomenon is knows as a Solar Eclipse!" "Before Tom Cruise, Rajnikanth was approached to do Mission Impossible. He refused, because he found the title insulting!" "Rajnikanth's next project is the Titanic in Tamil. However, Rajni has twisted the climax. Both the lead actors survive. Rajni swims across the Atlantic Ocean with the heroine in one hand and... the Titanic in the other!" Rajnikanth was, is and will always be a sensation!
Charity & social work- Humility and generosity are words that capture the mega star's spirit. According to a report carried in IBN Live, the actor donates 50% of his income to charity, according to his best friend Raja Badhar. Rajnikanth also lent his support to Gandhian Anna Hazare in 2011 for his anti corruption movement. Furthermore, the actor also apparently offered his marriage hall in Chennai to the India Against Corruption members to hold their fast, free of cost! In 2002, the actor protested against the Government of Karnataka for not letting the river Kaveri to not flow into Tamil Nadu. For this, he took a day long fast. He further declared that he would contribute Rs 1 crore for a project that would interlink Indian rivers. According to reports in certain sections of the media, Rajnikanth apparently donated money to the victims of the 2011 Tsunami and earthquake that struck Japan. The list seems endless!
Demi god- Rajnikanth has a cult status and following in India. While super stars in South are immortalized, Rajnikanth perhaps tops the list. It is not unusual for a star like Rajnikanth to have a temple built for him where he is worshipped and idolized. He's given the same respect that gods are given in India.
Unknown facts about Rajinikanth
Rajinikanth rules million of hearts with his style. He can never attends his film's public screenings. The actor considers all his films very important. After every film, the superstar takes a break from Chennai and usually visits the Himalayas. Rajinikanth has received many awards for films mostly in Tamil. The actor is known for his good rapport with everyone. Superstars like SRK and Salman follow Rajinikanth. Shah Rukh paid tribute to Rajinikanth through the song Lungi Dance [??? Actually it is the Thalaiva song at the end of the film which is a direct tribute] in Chennai Express.
Famous dialogues/ aphorisms
Rajinikanth's top 12 punch dialogues
Superstar Rajinikanth's trademark used to be not just his style, but also his punch dialogues that have his fans bursting out into thunderous claps. He was known for his smashing verbal punches on-screen, his rocking style and his charismatic presence. However, somewhere in the 21st century there came a lull. Rajini stopped mouthing ‘punch dialogues.’ This upset his fans. Kochadaiiyaan indicated that he might be reverting to giving fans lines to clap to. Lingaa, too, has famously leaked-in-advance punchline.
Here is a list of Rajini's greatest punchlines that we can never tire of.
16 Vayadhinile
Dialogue: Idhu eppdi irukku? (How's this?)
Annamalai
Dialogue: Naan solrathaiyum seiven, sollathathiyum seiven (I'll do what I say. I'll also do what I don't say)
Annamalai
Dialogue: Kashtapadaama edhuvum kidaikaadhu. Kashtapadaama kedachu ennikum nilaikaadhu. (You'll gain nothing without hard work. And if you do, it won't last for long)
Arunachalam
Dialogue: Andavan solran. Arunachalam seiran (God commands, I obey)
Baasha
Dialogue: Naan oru thadava sonna, nooru thadava sonna maadiri (If I say something even once, it's as though I've said it a hundred times)
Dharma Durai
Dialogue: Nallavana erukallam annal romba nallavana erukakudathu (You can be a good person. But you shouldn't be a very good person)
Enthiran
Dialogue: Who's the Black Sheep? Mehhh!
Lingaa
Dialogue: Enakku Hindu venam, Muslim venam, Christian venam, chettiar, nadar, mudhaliar yaarum venam, Indian ah irukuravanga mattum en kooda vaanga ((“I don’t need a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Chettiyaar, Naadaar, Mudaliar. Those who call themselves Indians alone should come with me”. )
‘I have not failed; I have only postponed my success’. (This one should rank among the best lines in world cinema, even theatre.)
'Come on, boys.'
Murattu Kaalai
Dialogue: See-eeviduven! (I'll lop off your head!)
Muthu
Dialogue: Naan eppo varuven, epdi varuvennu yarukkum theriyathu. Aana vara vendiya nerathula (No one can tell when or how I'll arrive -- but I always do, when the time is right)
Padayappa
Dialogue: En vazhi, thani vazhi (My way is my own)
Sivaji
Dialogue: Pera kettaale chumma adhirudhulla! (Doesn't everything quake at the mere mention of my name?)
Sivaji
Dialogue: Kannaaa Pani Thaa Kutama Varu Singo Singala Tha Varum (Only pigs come in groups, a tiger comes alone)
The cineastes that Rajinikanth worked most often with
Actor (leading man): Kamal Hassan (17 Films)
Actress: Sri Priya
Comedian: Y.G. Mahendran
Dance director: Puliyoor Saroja
Dialogue Writer: Panchu Arunachalam
Director: S.P. Muthuraman (25 films)
Lyricist: Vairamuthu
Music Director: Illayaraja
Playback Singer: S.P.Balasupramaniam
Producer: Devar Films / Kavithalaya
Stunt director: Judo Ratinam
Rajinikanth's heroines
1970s and 1980s
Srividya Aboorva Ragangal, in which Rajinikanth had a small and negative role.
Jayaprada Atuleni Katha, Ninaithale Inikum and Iddaru Asayadule. The period of the saw veteran actress-turned politician Jayaprada sharing screen-space with the actor in
Geetha Bairavi, Iddaru Asadhyule, Ninaithale Inikkum, Andamaina Anubhavam, Garjanai
Madhavi Thillu Mullu.
Sridevi Almost 15 films with Rajinikanth, most famously 16 Vayathinile, Johnny and Moondram Pirai. and the Hindi film, Chaalbaaz.
Sripriya has acted the most number of times with Rajinikanth.
Shobana Siva and Thalapathy.
Amala Vellaikaran and Mappilai.
The early ’90s
Nagma Baasha
Kushboo Mannan and Annamalai
Meena She first acted as a child artist in a Rajinikanth film, and then in Muthu and Yejaman etc as the heroine.
Ramya Krishnan scored as the vamp Nilambari in Padaiyaapaa.
The mid ’90s: a generational shift for Rajinikanth’s first batch of heroines
Srividya played Rajinikanth’s wife in Aboorva Ragangal acted as his mother-in-law in Mappilai, and his mother in Thalapthy.
Sujatha who acted as his wife in Avargal was given the role of his mother in Baba.
The 21st century
Meanwhile, the superstar got new heroines.
Manisha Koirala Baba.
Jyothika in P.Vasu’s Chandramukhi
Nayantara Two films, including a special appearance in Sivaji.
Shriya Saran Sivaji.
Aishwarya Rai Endiran
Deepika Padukone Kochadiiyaan
Coming soon:
Sonakshi Sinha Linga
Anushka Linga
Youthful sexagenarian: the secret
What's the secret behind Rajinikanth's youthful looks?
Abdullah Nurullah & Kamini Mathai,TNN | Dec 7, 2014 The Times of India
63-year-old superstar Rajinikanth doesn't look a day over 40 in Lingaa (2014).
Rajinikanth was and still is, one of the only actors who is seen off screen without make-up [or a wig]. "He has never resorted to a nip, tuck or lift to appear younger. Many years ago, he was rumoured to have had a little lip correction, but that is all," says a crew member of 'Sivaji'.
People who have worked with him for years say that with Rajinikanth, styling was never a problem. "It was because of two things - his wonderful head of hair and dark complexion. Together they gave him a very stylish and youthful look on screen," says make-up artist R Sundaramurti, who styled Rajinikanth in his debut film 'Apoorva Ragangal' (1975) and worked with him until 'Chandramukhi' (2005).
"He also believes a strict diet and meditation are enough to keep him looking and feeling young," says Sundaramurti. Rajinikanth's [post-2005] make-up artist Bhanu Bashyam, who has worked with him for a decade, has been quoted as saying he has flawless skin.
"I don't think Rajinikanth encountered a wrinkle till he was around 50," says Sundaramurti.
But the creases that eventually appeared were promptly ironed out, sometimes with visual effects and sometimes with a little clever costume design. Visual effects specialist V Srinivas Murali Mohan, who worked on 'Sivaji' (2007) and 'Enthiran' (2010) says the make-up and hair department works longer on Rajini's look.
Hair
Sundaramurti, 67, says that Rajini was so obsessive about his hair that in his first year in the industry he never let make-up artists touch it. "He would run his fingers through his hair and set it himself," says Sundaramurti. The first time Rajini allowed him to put a comb to his locks was in 1976 for 'Mooodru Mudichu'. "In 1977, for 'Avargal', he finally allowed us to try hair gel."
The passing years, says Sundaramurti, began to take their toll only on Rajinikanth's hairline, as the star was always watchful of his waistline, which helped keep him look young on screen. "Until 2005, we styled him with his own hair and a natural patch or two, after which specialised wigs were flown in or Rajinikanth was flown out for the wig sittings," says Sundaramurti .
Digital touch-ups
"We work more on the things around him. The digital touch-up to the face is minimal," says Mohan. The only occasion the visual effects department worked overtime was to create a 'fair-skinned' Rajinikanth for 'Sivaji'. "We digitally grafted the skin of a European dancer onto Rajinikanth," he says. The process apparently involved working on 9,000 scanned frames of the 630 shots that were taken of Rajinikanth and the dancer.
The making-up of Rajini
There's a lot that goes into creating a star. Here's a look at the team of experts who make Rajinikanth an evergreen hero.
Make-up
To shave off a few years, Rajinikanth is, well, asked not to shave. A stylish beard or stubble is usually added to his face to give it more definition.
Costume
In most of his recent movies, Rajini is seen in buttoned up outfits or wearing scarves or turtle-necks. This takes the focus off the neck, which is the first part of the body to exhibit age. In 'Lingaa', for instance, Rajini sports a scarf in several scenes. On the personal front, Rajini has always kept the inches off his waistline, which according to his make-up artistes, keep the years off.
Hair
While in the past, only natural hair patches were used, wigs are now custom-made for the actor. Rajini is often flown out to the US etc, for hair fittings.
Visual effects
While the make-up artistes work on most part of the look, the visual effects department adds a few finishing touches to any blemishes on his face. In several cases the spaces around Rajini are animated, locales are exotic and props are grand to accentuate the larger than life feeling that Rajini movies are famous for. This adds to the excitement thereby giving the movie a 'younger' feel.
Complete filmography…
… with box-office and critical success of each film
As an actor...
This section also attempts to mention all major awards won by that film.
(For awards won by Mr Rajinikanth as an individual see the Table in this article)
Before the era of video piracy a Tamil or Telugu film that had a continuous 75-day run at a couple of cinemas was considered passable. If the budget was medium to small, it meant that the film had done decent business. However, for a big-budget film it meant that the film was a flop.
1975-79
1975 Apoorva Raagangal (18.08.1975) / / Rajinikanth's 1st film. / Best Regional Tamil Film at National Film Awards / Filmfare: Best Tamil Film / Arima Sangam : Best Tamil Film / Filmfans: Best Tamil Film / Filimalaya: Best Tamil Film / Cinema Express: Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 100 Days / Rajinikanth's first film in Tamil--and his first film in any language. / Co-star(s): Kamal, Srividya
1975 Katha Sangama (23.01.1976) / Rajinikanth's first film in Kannada.
1976 Anthuleni Katha (27.02.1976) / Filmfans: Best Telugu Film / Rajinikanth's first Silver Jubilee Film in any language. / Rajinikanth's first film in Telugu.
1976 Moondru Mudichu Continuous first run: 100 Days / This was the first film in which Rajini got a playback singer to sing for him: MS Visuvanathan. / Co-star(s): Kamal, Sridevi
1977 Aadu Puli Atham / Continuous first run: 75 days/ Co-star(s): Kamal, Sripriya
1977 Aame Katha / Continuous first run: 75 days
1977 Aarupushpangal/ Co-star(s): Vijaykumar, Srividya
1977 Avargal / Co-star(s): Kamal, Sujatha
1977 Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri Tamil Nadu Government: Best Tamil Film (Rs.1 lakh prize) / Filmfans: Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 125 days/ This film was based on a novel. / Co-star(s): Sivakumar, Sumitra
1977 Chilakamma Cheppindi / Continuous first run: 100 Days
1977 Galate Samsara
1977 Gayathri / Continuous first run: 75 days (nevertheless, the film made reasonably good profits) / This film was based on a novel. / Co-star(s): Jaishanker, Sridevi
1977 Kavikuyil was not a commercial success. // It was the first film in which Rajini saar had a Positive Role.
1977 Kumkuma Rakshe
1977 Pathinaru (16) Vayathinile Tamil Nadu Government: Best Tamil Film / Filmfans Best Tamil Film / ThiraiKadhir Best Tamil Film / Arima Sangam Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 200 days / Rajinikanth's first Colour Film / Rajinikanth's first Silver Jubilee Film in Tamil. / This was the first film directed by Bhrathiraja. / Co-star(s): Kamal, Sridevi
1977 Raghupati Raghava Rajaram / The film's original title was Raghupathy Raghavan Rajaram.
1977 Sahodarara Saval (Kannada) / Guest appearance / Continuous first run:100 Days
1977 Tholireyi GadichindiTelugu / Co-stars Murali Mohan and Jayachitra. Directed by K.S. Rami Reddy.
1978 This was the year in which the highest number of Rajinikanth films were released.
'1978, the year Rajinikanth became a hero with Bairavi, about 21 of his films in multiple languages were released, which is a record in itself,' (Manoj Kumar R)
However, 1978 – 1981 is also considered the worst period of Rajinikanth’s life.
1978 Aval Appadithaan Tamil Nadu Government Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 100 days / This was the first film directed by Rudraya/ Co-star(s): Kamal, Sripriya
1978 Ayiram Janmangal / Continuous first run: 100 days/ Co-star(s): Vijaykumar, Latha
1978 B[h]airavi / Continuous first run: 100 days / Rajinikanth's first Solo Hero Movie. He came to be called "Superstar " perhaps with this film. / This was the first film produced by Valli Velan Movies. / This was the first film directed by M. Bhaskar
1978 Chadurangam/ Sadhurangam / Co-star(s): Srikanth, Jayachitra, Prameela
1978 En Kelvikku Enna Bathil
1978 Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu Tamil Nadu Government Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 25 weeks/ silver jubilee. / Co-star(s): Kamal, Sripriya
1978 Iraivan Kodutha Varam
1978 Justice Gopinath / Rajinikanth's first Film with Sivaji Ganesan./
1978 Kiladi Kittu
1978 Maathu Thappadha Maga (Kannada) / Rajinikanth's 25th film. / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Thiyagarajan.
1978 Mangudi Minor/ Co-star(s): Vijaykumar
1978 Mullum Malarum Filmfans Best Tamil Film/ Lions Club Best Tamil Film/ Filmfare Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 25 weeks/ silver jubilee. / This film was based on a novel. / It was screened at the Indian Panorama in 1978. / This was the first film directed by Mahendran. / Co-star(s): Shobha, 'Fatafat' Jayalakshmi
1978 Pavathin Sambalam
1978 Priya Filmfans Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 25 weeks / Rajinikanth's first Film shot overseas / First Tamil picture with Stereophonic Songs / This film was based on a novel. / Co-star(s): Sridevi
Priya (Kannada) / Continuous first run:100 Days
1978 Sadhurangam Tamil Nadu Government Best Tamil Film: (Rs1 lakh prize)
1978 Shankar Saleem Simon / Continuous first run: 100 days / Co-star(s): Vijayakumar
1978 Thappitha Thala/ Thappu Thaalangal/ Co-star(s): Saritha, Kamal Dir: K. Balachander
1978 Thayi Meethu Sathyam / Continuous first run: 100 days / This film marked the re-entry into Tamil cinema after a long gap by the famous production house Devar Films. / Co-star(s): Sripriya
1978 Vanakathukuria Kathaliye / This film was based on a novel.
1978 Vayasu Pilichindi / Guest appearance / Continuous first run:100 Days
1979 Aarilirindhu Aruvathu Varai Filmfans Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 25 weeks / This was the first film produced by P.A. Arts Production / Co-star(s):'Fatafat' Jayalakshmi
1979 Allauddin and Wonderful Lamp/ Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum (14.04.1979) / Rajinikanth's first film in Malayalam. Kamal Haasan layed the hero, while Rajinikanth acted as Qamaruddin. / Co-star(s): Kamal, Sripriya
1979 Ammaa Evarigaina Amma (Telugu) Continuous first run:100 Days
1979 Andamaina Anubhavam
1979 Annai Oru Aalayam/ Continuous first run: 126 days/ Co-star(s): Sripriya
1979 Dharma Yuddham / Continuous first run: 150 days/ Co-star(s): Sridevi
1979 Diler
1979 Johnny / Continuous first run: 100 days/ Co-star(s): Sridevi
1979 Kuppathu Raja
1979 Naan Vaazha Vaippen/ Continuous first run: 114 days / This was the Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Majboor. / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor K. R. Vijaya .
1979 Ninaithale Inikkum / Continuous first run: 100 days / Co-star(s): Kamal, Jaya Pradha
1979 Thayillamal Nannilai / Guest appearance / Continuous first run:100 Days/ Co-star(s): Kamal, Sridevi
1979 Tiger (Telugu) / Rajinikanth's 50th film.
The 1980s
1980 Anbukku Naan Adimai / Continuous first run: 140 days/ Co-star(s): Rati, Jaishankar
1980 Billa / Continuous first run: 260 days / Rajinikanth's first Double Role. / This was the Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don. / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Balaji. / This was the first film directed by R. Krishnamoorthy/ Co-star(s): Sripriya
1980 Ellam Un Kairasi/ Co-star(s): Seema
1980 Johnny/Jani / Continuous first run: 100 days
1980 Kaali / Continuous first run: 56 days/ Co-star(s): Vijaykumar
1980 Kurinchi Malar
1980 Maayadhaari Krishnudu
1980 Main Intaqaam Loonga
1980 Mr. Rajanikant
1980 Murattu Kaalai Filmfans Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 150 days / This film marked the re-entry of the legendary production house AVM into Tamil cinema after a long gap. / Co-star(s): Rati, Jaishankar
1980 Naan Potta Savaal / This was the first film directed by Purthchidasan / Co-star(s): Sivaji
1980 Polladhavan/ Continuous first run: 100 days / Rajinikanth's first cinemascope film./ This was the first film produced by Vidhya Movies/ Co-star(s): Lakshmi
1980 Ram Robert Rahim (Telugu)/ Continuous first run: 100 days / This was the Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Amar Akbar Anthony.
1981 Black Cobra
1981 Garjanai/ Co-star(s):Madhavi
1981 Kazhugu / Continuous first run: 50 days/ Co-star(s): Rathi
1981 Netri Kann / Continuous first run: 100 days / This was the first film produced by Kavithalayam. / Co-star(s): Lakshmi, Saritha
1981 Ranuva Veeran / Continuous first run: 100 days / This film marked the re-entry of the famous production house Sathya Movies into Tamil cinema after a long gap. / Co-star(s): Sridevi
1981 Thee / Continuous first run: 60 days in Tamil Nadu; 100 days in Yaznagar, Sri Lanka. / This was the Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Deewar, / This was the first Indo-Sri Lankan co-production after Sivaji Ganesan's Pilot Premnath. / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Balaji. / Co-star(s): Suman
1981 Thillu Mullu / Continuous first run: 100 days / Rajinikanth's first film without moustache. / Co-star(s): Madhavi
1982 Agni Satchi/ Sakshi / Guest appearance / Continuous first run:100 Days / Co-star(s): Sivakumar, Saritha
1982 Engeyo Ketta Kural / Yengeyo Ketta Kural/ Co-star(s): Ambika, Radha Tamil Nadu Government Best Tamil Film film/ Filmfare Best Tamil Film / Tamil Nadu Filmfans Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 100 days
1982 Paap Ko Jala Dunga
1982 Pokkiri Raja / Continuous first run: 148 days / Co-star(s): Sridevi, Radhika
1982 Pudhu Kavithai / Continuous first run: 100 days/ Co-star(s): Jyothi
1982 Pyara Tarana
1982 Ranga / Rajinikanth's 75th film. / Continuous first run: 100 days/ Co-star(s): Radhika
1982 Thanikkattu Raja / Continuous first run: 82 days. The film did better in the small towns. / Co-star(s): Sridevi, Sripriya
1983 Adutha Varisu / Continuous first run: 120 days. / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Dwarakish. / This was the first film produced by Dwarakish Chithra. / Co-star(s): Sridevi
1983 Andhaa Kanoon (07.04.1983) / Rajinikanth's first film in Hindi-Urdu / A major hit. Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Amitabh, Hema Malini
1983 Jeet Hamaari Hindi-Urdu
1983 Moondru Mugham Tamil Nadu Government Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 225 days / Rajinikanth's first triple role. / Co-star(s): Radhika
1983 Paayum Puli / Continuous first run: 133 days / Co-star(s): Radha
1983 Prema Pariksha
1983 Rajaon Ka Raja
1983 Sasthi Viratam
1983 Sivappu Sooriyan / Continuous first run: 112 days (in the last few weeks the film was mostly shown in morning shows, and not in the main four shows of the day) / This was the first film produced by Maya Arts. / Co-star(s): Radha, Saritha
1983 Thanga Magan / Continuous first run: 100 days (in Madras) and 247 days (in Madurai). / Co-star(s): Poornima Jayaram
1983 Thayi Veedu / Continuous first run: 100 days/ Co-star(s): Anitha Raj, Suhasini
1983 Thudikkum Karangal / Continuous first run: 91 days: i.e. the film did satisfactory business. / Co-star(s):Radha, Jaishankar
1983 Uruvavugal Maralam/ Guest appearance / Continuous first run:100 Days
1984 Aakhri Sangram
1984 Anbulla Rajanikant (Dir: K Natraj: it was his first film as director) Filmfans Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 75 days. The film was a box office flop despite Ilaiyaraaja's hit music and a noble theme. Rajanikant, playing himself, gets Rosy, a crotchety orphaned woman who is confined to a wheelchair because of cancer, to open up to him. She hates everyone but he gives her some happiness in her last days. This theme did not go down well with mass audiences. / This was the first film produced by S.D. Combines. / This was the first film directed by K. Natraj/ Co-star(s): Ambika, Baby Meena
1984 Bhooka Sher
1984 Dushmano Ka Dushman
1984 Gangvaa (Hindi-Urdu)/ Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Dwarakish. / Co-star(s):Shabana Azmi
1984 Idhey Naa Savaal
1984 Insaaf Kaun Karega/ Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s):Dharmendra
1984 John Jani Janardhan This was the first box office hit in Hindi-Urdu in which the hero was in a triple role. Amitabh Bachchan had done a triple role Mahaan and Dilip Kumar in Bairaag but neither did well commercially.
1984 Johny Ustad
1984 Kai Kodukkam Kai / Continuous first run: 105 days/ Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Vijaya Kumar. / Chinni Jeyanth made his debut with this film. / This was also the first film produced by Ragavendira. / Co-star(s): Revathi
1984 Love In Singapur
1984 Meri Adalat (Hindi-Urdu) / Co-star(s): Zeenat Aman
1984 Naan Mahaan Alla (Director: Dwarakish) The film flopped perhaps because it was about the unpleasant subject of marital discord. Sridevi plays the daughter of a rich man while the Rajinikanth character is a middle class photographer This disparity leads to conflict. The film did so badly that after it superstar Sridevi stopped acting in Tamil films (but became no.1 in Hindi-Urdu films)./ Continuous first run: 100 days / The film's original title was Naan Gandhi Alla / Co-star(s): Radha
1984 Nallavanukku Nallavan / Continuous first run: 154 days / Co-star(s): Radhika
1984 Nuvva Nena
1984 Rowdycaku Saval
1984 Takkaridonga
1984 Thambikku Entha Ooru / Continuous first run: 100 days. According to unverified sources it was a smash hit in Madurai. / Co-star(s): Madhavi, Sulakshana
1984 Tiger Rajani
1985 Aaj Ka Dada
1985 Bewafai
1985 Chithirame Chithirame
1985 Ek Saudagar
1985 Fauladi Mukka
1985 Galiyon Ka Gunda
1985 Geraftaar/ Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Amitabh, Kamal
1985 Hum Nahin Jhukenge Hindi-Urdu
1985 Mahaguru/ Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Meenakshi Seshadri
1985 Mera Badla
1985 Mera Inteqam
1985 Naan Sigappu Manithan / Continuous first run: 100 days/ This was the first film produced by Lakshmi Productions. / Co-star(s): Bagyaraj, Ambika
1985 Nyayam Meere Cheppali
1985 Padikkathavan / Continuous first run: 210 days. / This was the Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Khuddar. / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Ravichandran. / This was the first film produced by Eswari Productions / Co-star(s): Sivaji, Ambika
1985 Sree Raaghavendra / This was Rajinikanth's 100th film. The film was written by Rajinikanth and produced by Kavithalaya Productions of his patron K Balachander. Rajinikanth’s acting as the great saint Raghavendra Swami was much lauded. However, the film, a biopic of the saint, did quite badly in commercial terms / Co-star(s): Lakshmi
1985 Unn Kannil Neer Vazhindal / Continuous first run: 75 days; reportedly did slightly better in Coimbatore. / Co-star(s): Madhavi
1985 Wafadaar
1985 Zahreele Saanp
1986 was a terrible year for Rajinikanth. He had a row of flops: not only in Tamil but in Hindi as well.
1986 Asli Naqli Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Shatru, Radhika
1986 Bhagwaan Dada/ Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Sridevi / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Rakesh Roshan.
1986 Dosti Dushmani
1986 Ilaaka
1986 Jeevana Porstam
1986 Maaveeran / (Directed by Rajasekhar), The film was the Tamil version of Mard, which had Amitabh Bachchan in the lead./ It was the first Tamil film in 70mm. / Maaveeran was released on the occasion of Diwali. So was Punnagai Mannan, which starred Kamal Haasan', the other superstar of Tamil cinema. Punnagai Mannan proved to be a major hit and ate into Maaveeran’s business. / Continuous first run: 90 days. With a 90 day run in Madras and 101 days in Trichy, this blockbuster did badly for its budget in the main cities. However, it did well in the small towns / This was Rajinikanth's first ' own production' (i.e. he was the man behind the film, even if not the official producer). / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Krishna. / Co-star(s): Ambika
1986 Naan Adimai Illai / Continuous first run: 50 days . / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Dwarakish. / This was the first Tamil film directed by Dwarakish / Co-star(s): Sridevi
1986 Viduthalai (Directed by K Vijayan) The film was star-studded, with Sivaji Ganesan and Kannada superstar Dr Vishnuvardhan joining Rajinikanth in the cast. The script was good but overall the film was soulless and dry./ Continuous first run: 100 days at some cinemas and 75 days almost everywhere, despite which it was not a very successful film. / The film was the Tamil version of Feroz Khan's hit Qurbani. / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Balaji. / Co-star(s): Sivaji, Madhavi
1986 Mr. Bharath / Continuous first run: 102 days. / This was the Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Trishul. / Co-star(s): Sathyaraj, Ambika
1987 Bihari Gunda
1987 Daku Hasina
1987 Kanoon Ke Dushman
1987 Manithan / Continuous first run: 200 days. / Co-star(s):Rubini
1987 Oor Kavalan / Continuous first run: 100 days. / Co-star(s): Radhika
1987 Sattam Oru Vilayattu
1987 Uttar Dakshin Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Jackie Shroff
1987 Velaikkaaran / Continuous first run: 131 days. / This was the Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Namak Halal. / Co-star(s): Amala
1987 Zulm Ka Jawab
1988 Bloodstone (07.10.1988) / Rajinikanth's first film in English. / This was the first time that a South Indian Actor acted in a Hollywood film and spoke in his own voice (was not dubbed). / Continuous first run: 30 Days / The film was not a hit.
1988 Dharmathin Thalaivan / Continuous first run: 100 days. / This was the Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Kasme Vaade. / This was the first Tamil film the prints of which were sent to theatres within Tamil Nadu by air. / Co-star(s): Prabhu, Suhasini
1988 Guru Sisyan / Continuous first run: 125 days. / Gauthami made her debut in this film. / Co-star(s): Prabhu, Gouthami
1988 Rajathi Raja / Rajinikanth's 125th film. / A major hit across Tamil Nadu, where all theatres were full for the first 100 days. / Continuous first run: 125 days in most towns,150 in Madras and 181 days in Madurai. / this was the First Tamil Movie the audio cassette of which won a Platinum disc: 1,22,000 cassettes sold. / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his co-cineaste, the legendary Ilaiyaraja.
1988 Tamacha
1989 Bhrashtachar Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Rekha, Mithun Chakraborty.
1989 ChaalBaaz/ Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Sridevi
1989 Gair Kaanooni
1989 Kodi parakkudu / Continuous first run: 100 days, some of it in noon shows. / Co-star(s): Amala
1989 Mappillai/ Continuous first run: 175 days. A very major hit. Shows were full for several weeks. / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Chiranjeevi. / This was the first film produced by Geetha Arts/ Co-star(s): Amala, Srividya
1989 Raajadhi Raaja/ Co-star(s): Radha, Nadhiya
1989 Raja Chinna Roja Santhome Communications: Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 175 days, the last few weeks in morning shows. / This was the First Indian film with Animated (cartoon) characters. / Co-star(s): Gouthami, Raghuvaran
1989 Siva A flop./ Director: Amirjan, producer: Kavithalaya Productions; Stars: Rajinikanth, Raghuvaran, Sowcar Janaki and Shobana.) Siva was the Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan-Vinod Khanna starrer Khoon Pasina . / Continuous first run: 75 days / S Saraswathi writes, ' Childhood buddies Rajinikanth and Raghuvaran are separated after a villain destroys their families.
'Twenty years later, Raghuvaran, who grows up to become a hired goon, is employed to kill Rajinikanth. Predictably, they recognise each other, reunite, and fight the bad guy together in the climax.'/ Co-star(s): Shobana, Raghuvaran
1989 Zulm Ki Zanjeer
The 1990s
1990 Adisaya Piravi/ Continuous first run: 75 days/ Co-star(s): Sheeba, Kanaga
1990 Panakkaran/ Continuous first run: 175 days, the last few weeks of which were in morning shows. In its second run it played for 50 days. / This was the Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Laawaris.
1991 Dharma Durai A very big hit across Tamil Nadu. / Continuous first run: 175 days in Madras, 211 in Madurai and 100 days in at least ten other towns. / The film's original title was - Kaalam Maari Pochu. / This was the first film produced by Rasi Kala Mandir/ Co-star(s): Gouthami
1991 Farishtay/ Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Vinodh Khanna, Dharmendra
1991 Hum/ Co-star(s): Amitabh, Govinda,
1991 Khoon Ka Karz
1991 Nattukku Oru Nallavan / Written and directed by V Ravichandran / Bombed badly in all three languages, with just 4 weeks at most cinemas. / This ambitious film was released in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu. / In Telugu it was called Shanthi Kranti and Akkineni Nagarjuna was the hero, playing the role that Rajini did in Tamil. / S Saraswathi writes, The film ' tells the story of an honest policeman and his fight against the deadly organ transplant mafia.' / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Ravichandran. / Co-star(s): Juhi Chawla, Kushboo
1991 Phool Bane Angaarey/ Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s):Rekha
1991 Shanti Kranti
1991 Thalapathi Filmfans Best Tamil Film / Continuous first run: 175 days in Madras, 100 days at 15 cinemas across the state, 50 days at 85 Theaters and 66 days in Malaysia, making it a cult hit. / Co-star(s): Mammootty, Shobana
1992 Annamalai / Continuous first run: 175 days in Madras, and 100 Days at 25 cinemas across the state. / Co-star: Kushboo
1992 Chor Ke Ghar Chorni
1992 Mannan / Continuous first run: 198 days in Madras, 301 days in Kovai, 175 days in Madurai; 100 Days at 13 cinemas, 125 days at 6 cinemas, 150 days at 3 cinemas and 69 Days in Malaysia. / Rajinikanth's first song sung by himself: 'adikuthu kuliru' / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Prabhu. / Co-star(s): Vijayashanti, Kushboo
1992 Pandian / Tamil Nadu Government Best Lyrics, Best Art, Best Editing / Continuous first run: 100 days in Madras--including a few weeks in morning shows, and 125 days in Trichy. / This was the first film produced by Visalam Productions / Co-star(s): Kushboo
1992 Tyagi/ Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Jayapradha / This was the first film produced by Devyank Arts
1993 Ejamaan/ Yejaman/ Co-star(s): Meena, Ishwarya / Continuous first run: 100 days.
1993 Insaniyat Ke Devta/ Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Rajkumar, Vinod Khanna
1993 Pyara Bharat Yeh Kahe (TV film)
1993 Uzhaippaali Continuous first run: 100 days in Madras, Kovai, Dharmapuri (the first film to run so long in this small town), Nellai and Salem. 125 days in Erode, 142 days in Madurai, 84 days in Nagercoil and 50 days at 44 cinemas across the state. / This film marked the re-entry into Tamil cinema after a long gap by the famous production house Vijaya Vahini. / This was the first film produced by Chandamama Vijaya Combines / Co-star(s): Roja
1993 Valli/ Directed by K Nataraj, music by Ilaiyaraaja / Continuous first run: 100 days in Madras, but the film is not considered a success. Vijaya, its Telugu dubbed version, ran for 50 days in most Andhra towns. / It featured Rajinikanth's first screenplay and story. He also produced the film and lost considerable money because it flopped. / However, he only had a small guest appearance in the film. / S Saraswathi writes, 'Valli tells the tale of a young woman, who is cheated by the man she loves and how she eventually kills him in a dramatic climax.' / Co-star(s): Priya Raman
1994 Aaj Ka Dharmathma
1994 Double Game
1994 Shakaal
1994 Veera/ Continuous first run: 152 days in Madras, and 100 days at 20 cinemas and 50 days at 71 cinemas across the state. / Co-star(s): Meena, Roja
1995 Aatank Hi Aatank Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla
1995 Baasha Rajinikanth was huge even before Baasha, but this mega-hit that gave him the near-messianic status that he has had ever since. 85 days in Madras, 368 days in Kovai, and 50 days at roughly 80 cinemas. Its eponymous Telugu dubbed version Baasha had a 100 day run. / This was a loosely adapted Tamil version of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Hum (in which Rajini had played the second lead). / Co-star(s): Nagma
1995 Bhagya Debata Bengali The film was directed by Raghuram ‘Master,’ a well-known choreographer of Tamil films. The film also starred Bengali superstar Mithun Chakraborty. It was released in Hindi as Krantikari (1997). However, the film was not released in Tamil Nadu because of legal problems.
1995 Muthu / A major hit in India, countries with Tamil-speaking populations--and Japan. Continuous first run: 185 days in Madras, 163 days in Japan, 100 days at 30 cinemas, 84 days at 55 cinemas, and 50 days at 94 cinemas. Its eponymous Telugu dubbed version ran for 100 days. / This was the first Tamil movie dubbed into Japanese: creating a fan base for Rajini in Japan. / Co-star(s): Meena, Sarath Babu
1995 Pedda Rayudu / Cinema Express Best Telugu Film / Continuous first run: 200 Days A major hit,/ Filmfans Best Telugu Film / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Mohan Babu.
1996 Madras was renamed Chennai.
1997 Krantikari
1998 Kanoon Ka Khiladi
1999 Arunachalam / Tamil Nadu Government Best Tamil Film / 204 days in Chennai, 100 days at 46 cinemas, and 50 days at 122 cinemas in Tamil Nadu. Its eponymous Telugu dubbed version had a 100 day run in Andhra Pradesh. / This was the first film produced by Annamali Cine Combine
1999 Padaiyappa / Rajinikanth's 150th film. / Tamil Nadu Government Best Tamil Film, as well as 5 state awards / 270 days in Kovai, 242 days in Chennai, 175 days at 11 cinemas, and 100 days at 139 cinemas. / This was the first film produced by Arunachala Cine Creations 65 days - 225 cinemas.Its Telugu dubbed version was called Narasima and had a 133 day run in Andhra Pradesh.
The 2000s
2000 Bulandi (Hindi-Urdu )
2002 Baba / Rajinikanth wrote and produced the film. / However, the film crashed at the box office / 100 days in Chennai; 100 days at 8 cinemas, and 50 days at 107 cinemas in the state. Its eponymous Telugu version had a 100 day run in AP.. / After the film flopped, Mr Rajinikanth, as its producer, returned substantial sums of money to the film's distributors as a big-hearted goodwill gesture to cushion the money that they had lost on the film. / This was a mega-budget film, and released with much fanfare. It was released in twice as many theatres as was the norm. The ticket was priced at more than Rs200, which was almost twice the normal official price, but close to the black market price of Rajini starrers, to discourage scalping. The audio cassette of the film's soundtrack had to be reserved through a coupon. / This was the first film produced by Lotus International
/ S Saraswathi adds, The film 'portrayed the spiritual transformation of an atheist -- Baba (played by Rajinikanth) spent his life drinking, smoking, chewing tobacco and playing cards. • • 'A twist of fate brings him to a powerful saint, who grants him seven boons. • • 'How these boons change his life forms the crux of the story. • • 'Surprisingly, the man who directed Rajini's biggest flop was also the one who was instrumental in elevating him to the status of a demi-God with the cult classic Baasha (1995).'
2005 Chandramukhi Chandramukhi and the Kamal Haasan starrer Mumbai Express were released at the same time to coincide with the Tamil New Year. Chandramukhi was such a powerhouse that it ate heavily into the collections of Mumbai Express. Apparently, Kamal Haasan decided not to clash with a Rajinikanth release again. / 100 days at 156 cinemas, and 50 days at 250 cinemas. / Rajini acted in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Prabhu.
2007 Sivaji: The Boss / The film rewrote box office records in Tamil, and did well in Hindi-Urdu.
2008 Kuselan / A flop / Directed by P Vasu. Cast: Pasupathy and Meena. Mr Rajinikanth and Nayantara had long guest appearances. / The film was the Tamil version of the Malayalam hit Kadha Parayumbol. / S Saraswathi writes, ' The film was marketed as a Rajini film and fans were disappointed by his limited screen time. The plot revolved around the beautiful relationship between a poor villager and a superstar. • • 'Best friends in childhood, life takes them on different paths -- one of them reaches the pinnacle of success while the other struggler as a lowly village barber. • • 'Fate brings them together again after 25 years.'
2010-14
2010 Enthiran A mega-hit across languages. Till late 2018, i.e.for more than 8 years, this was the biggest hit in the history of Tamil cinema (even without adjusting for inflation): till the film's sequel came along.
2011 Ra.One The Thalaivaa had a guest appearance.
2014 Kochadaiiyaan (See the Indpaedia page on Kochadaiiyaan) A technologically accomplished film, a moderate success at the box office but did badly in relation to its budget. Budget ₹107 crore; Collection: Domestic ₹60 crore; Overseas ₹21 crore; Total (crore) ₹81.Though the film was the year's 5th biggest earner at the box office, it was a flop, a major loser of its investment.
2014 Lingaa (2014) It was the no.1 hit of 2014. Budget ₹ 103crore Collection: Domestic ₹89 crore; Overseas ₹46 crore; Total (crore) ₹135 The film earnd quite well in absolute terms. But it did badly in relation to its budget--and was a disaster in relation to the record price at which it was sold to the distributors. See the Indpaedia page on Lingaa (2014)).
2015 onwards
2015: No new release
2016: Kabali It was the no.1 hit of 2016. Budget ₹113crore Collection: Domestic ₹193 crore; Overseas ₹93 crore; Total (crore) ₹286 | It generated ‘Above Average’ returns in terms of its budget. See the Indpaedia page on Kabali)
2018 Kaala (Karikaalan) broke even. According to all reliable estimates, Kaala was the no. 1 earner (not hit) of the year, for the first 11 months of 2018. Budget: ₹139 crore. Collection: Domestic ₹105. Overseas ₹49. Total (collection) ₹154 crore. But, in the twelfth month, another film came along and pushed Kaala to the second spot...
2.0 was that other film, and it did exceeding well at the box office, especially in Hindi. Rs 700 crore worldwide [in all languages together] (See below)
2019 Petta A hit. Rs 100 crore within 15 days
Rajinikanth in Petta (2019)
Year of release not known
Annadammula Savaal (Kannada?) / Continuous first run: 175 Days
Insaaf Ki Pukar Hindi-Urdu / Co-star(s): Jitendra, Rishi Kapoor, Bhanupriya, Poonam Dhillon
Manadhil Urudhi Vendum / Guest appearance / Continuous first run:100 Days/ Co-star(s): Suhasini
Natchathiram / Guest appearance / Continuous first run:100 Days / Rajini made a Guest appearance in the film because it was produced by his fellow actor Sripriya.
Sivaranjani (guest)/ Co-star(s): Sripriya
Uruvangal Maaralaam (guest)/ Co-star(s): YGMahendran
Yaar / Guest appearance / Continuous first run: 100 Days/ Co-star(s): Arjun
2000-15: Do 3 hits, 4 flops signal a decline?
RAJINI EFFECT DWINDLINGAA
Kamini Mathai The Times of India Jan 25 2015
Rajinikanth's Lingaa (2014) did not do well at the box office
Distraught distributors demanded that Rajinikanth and the makers of Lingaa (2014) help them recover their losses. This disaster, coming on the heels of his last flop, Kochadaiiyaan (also 2014) , emboldened the Tamil film industry to finally ask a question that would have been considered blasphemous a couple of years ago: is it time the no-longer-young superstar retired or moved into the kind of roles that keep an older star like Amitabh Bachchan relevant in Hindi cinema?
At this point in Rajinikanth's 40-year, 150-film career, it became apparent that without a good script and a sensible distribution and marketing strategy, even a near legend like him cannot succeed. “At the end of Endhiran, Rajinikanth the robot dismantles himself. To me, the actor should have done the same with his career. Called it quits while he was ahead of the game,“ says filmmaker K Hariharan, director of creative sciences at Mahindra Ecole Central, Hyderabad.
Hariharan believed that the superstar did not really want to act anymore and is doing so to oblige those he cares for. Kochadaiiyaan was directed by his daughter, Soundarya, so he had to do it. It flopped. And then to make up for the losses, director K S Ravikumar who also handled Kochadaiiyaan was brought into Lingaa (2014) -again, the bet didn't pay off.
Some filmmakers [and Indpaedia] believe that Rajini should not be written off yet. They say that he is a victim of the overblown hype around him. Distributors, producers and even directors have bought blindly into the myth making, ignoring some basic tenets of the film market. One problem is that filmmakers are so thrilled to have him in their projects that they neglect the storyline and script. As if Rajini's presence alone could prop up a film.
In the 80s, when Rajinikanth reigned at the box office, fans would throng theatres, watching a movie more than a dozen times in the first week itself. Theatres would be booked out by fans for the first day-first show, and lakhs would be spent on pujas involving pouring litres of milk on his posters and cut-outs to wish him prosperity .
Little wonder that distributors bet on him blindly .Around 650 theatres across Tamil Nadu screened Lingaa (2014) on its first day . But the bad reviews started filing in by the end of the first day , and the audience started thinning out. Many theatres in Chennai dropped the movie in the second week, and several other movies, whose release dates were postponed because of Lingaa (2014), started streaming into theatres. “Five films released hardly two weeks after Lingaa (2014). No one usually dares release so close to a Rajinikanth movie. Clearly , that is not the case anymore,“ says R M Rizwan, a former professor of film studies, who has done a case study on Endhiran and is analyzing Lingaa (2014).
Says Sadanand Menon, cultural commentator. “An analysis of what made the superstar is really an analysis of his audience. Rajini made his debut in the 1970s when the popularity of the stars of the time -Sivaji and M G Ramachandran -was on the wane. “There was also a breakdown of the Dravidian identity that was assiduously cultivated in Tamil cinema over three decades.“ He adds that newer directors like K Balachander were making a mark at the time, taking cinema in newer, more diverse directions. With his `common man' background -Rajini, born Shiva-ji Rao Gaekwad was a bus conductor in Karnataka before his rebirth as a hero -he knew how to play to his audience.
Though Rajinikanth was initially noticed for his `baddie' roles in director K Balachander's Moondru Mudichu and Bharathiraaja's 16 Vayadinile, he soon went on to become a rage with his cigarette tricks and stunts. “He went all out, creating a style, giving his audience the paisa vasool [value for money] they sought from him on screen,“ says Menon.
In other parts of the country , Rajini was known for his screen quirks but with Sivaji the Boss, he became a huge box office draw. People loved his insouciance, and the ability to laugh at himself. That he was no standard hero material was something he constantly took potshots at. He has no qualms appearing in public as he is -a balding, ageing star -because the minute he appeared on the screen he could work magic. But he was always supported by good stories and scripts.
INFLATED PRICE TAG?
Lingaa (2014) is not the first time the superstar has failed at the box office but there is a reason why distributors were more upset by its non-success. According to vice-president of the Tamil Film Producers' Council PL Thenappan, Lingaa (2014) was sold at unrealistic rates to distributors. He says the distribution rights for a Rajini movie cost 10% more than his last film. If the movie was a flop, say in the case of Baba (2002), the rights for the next movie -in this case Chandramukhi (2005) -were sold for a lower price. But Lingaa (2014), in some areas, was sold at Rs 12 crore, almost double the price of the rights of Rajinikanth's 2010 superhit Endhiran.The disastrous box office showing of his immediately preceding movie, Kochadaiiyaan, wasn't even taken into consideration
Indpaedia's view is that the superstar's age was not an issue in Lingaa (2014). His body language was suave and quite youthful--like that of a dashing 40-year-old. The film did badly because of a script that had to be stretched over the film's epic structure. Secondly, it was a flop only in relation to its budget (and price for distributors).
...and 2018-19: 3 films, ₹1,000 crore in 7 months?
Rajinikanth's recent back-to-back releases have revived the mood at the Tamil Nadu box office, which was hit by GST rollout, repeated strikes, the menace of online piracy, the power struggle within the industry and other financial crisis.
In the span of about seven months, three Rajinikanth films have released – Kaala, 2.0 and Petta. This is a rare occurrence as over the last couple of decades the Superstar had limited himself to doing one film a year.
Industry experts only wish that Rajinikanth continues his zeal for signing multiple films every year.
Producer and distributor G Dhananjayan told Indianexpress.com that Rajinikanth films brought celebrations back to the theaters across the state. “Three Rajinikanth films coming out in 7 months has brought in huge revenues and in fact helped Tamil cinema achieve the highest ever box office revenues in a financial year. Whether all the films succeeded commercially is not important, but the fact is these three films brought in cheer to the box office is something we should all be happy about,” he said.
“Kaala was not a hit but it broke even at the box office. 2.0 and Petta were hits,” Subramaniam said.
Trade analysts said that Kaala’s global business was pegged at Rs 150 crore and 2.0 grossed about Rs 700 crore worldwide. “Petta collected Rs 100 crore within 15 days of its release in Tamil Nadu alone,” noted Subramaniam, who is the distributor of the Karthik Subbaraj directorial.
“He (Rajinikanth) is Number 1,” added Subramaniam. “He draws 50 per cent more remuneration than Vijay or Ajith and that should attest to this fact.”
2020: Darbar
Budget ₹190–240 crore
Box office ₹202—250 crore
At best, the film broke even.
2021: Annaatthe
Rajinikanth’s Annaatthe received mixed reactions from critics and fans but it worked wonders at the box office, at least initially. The film, released on Diwali, As per trade analyst Manobala Vijayabalan, the film managed to mint Rs 70.19 crore gross on its opening day at the box office. On the second day, the Rajinikanth-starrer showed a drop in its performance as it collected only Rs 42.43 crore on Saturday. However, Annaatthe’s worldwide gross box office collection stood at Rs 112.82 crore after two days of release, which gave the film one of the biggest openings of 2021.
Annaatthe Budget: ₹ 180 Cr* Approx
Worldwide Collection between ₹172 and ₹240 Cr
Verdict: The film more or less broke even.
2023: Jailer
Jailer box office collection by Day 8: ₹470 crore worldwide, A success.
'Lifetime' results
Worldwide: Jailer grossed over ₹600 crore worldwide, making it the second fastest Tamil movie to do so after 2.0 in 2018.
India: Jailer earned ₹348.55 crore net in India, with a gross domestic collection of ₹408.5 crore.
Overseas: Jailer earned ₹196 crore in the overseas market.
Opening day: Jailer earned ₹48.35 crore nett in India on its opening day.
Weeks: Jailer made ₹235.85 crore nett in India in week 1, ₹62.95 crore in week 2, ₹29.75 crore in week 3, and ₹13.01 crore in week 4.
2024: Vettaiyan
Vettaiyan Did not recover its reported Rs 300 crore costs from its initial box office run.
After 17 days:
India Net Collection ₹ 143.5 Cr
Worldwide Collection ₹ 250 crore after 18 days
Overseas Collection ₹ 80 Cr
India Gross Collection ₹ 167.75 Cr
As a producer
1993 Valli: Flop
2002 Baba: Flop
As a writer
1985 Sree Raaghavendra: The movie flopped but Rajinikanth’s acting was much lauded.
1993 Valli: Flop
2002 Baba: Flop.
As a singer
2014 Kochadaiiyaan
Awards won by Mr. Rajinikanth
In 2016, Rajinikanth was conferred the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour. Earlier, in 2000, Rajinikanth had been honoured with the Padma Bhushan award, India's third highest civilian honour from the Government of India.
Rajinikanth has to his credit several awards and honors. He has won six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards including four Best Actor Awards and two Special Awards for Best Actor and a Filmfare Award too for the Best Tamil Actor category.
Rajinikanth has also received the Kalaimamani award in 1984 and the M. G. R. Award in 1989, both from the Government of Tamil Nadu. The actor was also presented with the Kalaichelvam Award in 1995 by the South Indian Film Artistes' Association.
Furthermore, the actor was selected as the Indian Entertainer of the Year for 2007 by NDTV. I
2021
Rajinikanth was chosen for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The choice of the iconic actor was made by a jury comprising legendary singer Asha Bhonsle, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, Bollywood veteran Biswajit Chatterjee, singer Shankar Mahadevan and filmmaker Subhash Ghai.
|
Year |
Film |
Category |
Award given by… |
|
1977 |
16 Vayathinile |
Best Actor |
Arima Sangam |
|
1977 |
Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri |
Best Supporting Actor |
Thirai Kathir |
|
1978 |
Mullum Malarum |
Special Award for Best Actor |
Government of Tamil Nadu |
|
1978 |
Mullum Malarum |
Best Actor |
Arima Sangam |
|
1979 |
Aarilirundu Arubadhu Varai |
Best Actor |
Filmfans Association |
|
1979 |
Aarilirundu Arubadhu Varai |
Best Actor |
Devar Award |
|
1982 |
Moondru Mugam |
Special Award for Best Actor |
Government of Tamil Nadu |
|
1982 |
Engeyo Ketta Kural |
Best Actor |
Filmfans Association |
|
1984 |
Nallavanuku Nallavan |
Best Actor |
Filmfare Awards |
|
1984 |
Nallavanuku Nallavan |
Best Actor |
Cinema Express |
|
1984 |
Nallavanuku Nallavan |
Best Actor |
Filmfans Association |
|
1984 |
--- |
Kalaimamani Award |
Government of Tamil Nadu |
|
1985 |
Sri Raghavendra |
Best Actor |
Filmfans Association |
|
1985 |
Sri Raghavendra |
Best Actor |
Cinema Express |
|
1985 |
Sri Raghavendra |
Best Actor |
Filmalaya |
|
1987 |
Velaikkaran |
Best Actor |
Sunflash Award |
|
1988 |
Bloodstone |
Best Achiever |
Cinema Express |
|
1989 |
--- |
MGR Award |
Government of Tamil Nadu |
|
1991 |
Thalapathy |
Best Actor |
Cinema Express |
|
1991 |
Thalapathy |
Best Actor |
Filmfans Association |
|
1992 |
Annamalai |
Best Actor |
Cinema Express |
|
1992 |
Annamalai |
Best Actor |
Ambika Awards |
|
1992 |
Annamalai |
Best Actor |
Filmfans Association |
|
1993 |
Valli |
Best Story Writer |
Cinema Express |
|
1993 |
Valli |
Best Story Writer |
Filmfans Association |
|
1993 |
Valli |
Best Film (Producer) |
Tamil Nadu Murpokku Ezhuthalar Sangam |
|
1995 |
--- |
Kalaichelvam Award |
Nadigar Sangam |
|
1995 |
Peaddarayadu |
Best Actor |
Screen Awards |
|
1995 |
Baadsha |
Best Actor |
Cinema Express |
|
1995 |
Baadsha |
Best Actor |
Filmfans Association |
|
1995 |
Muthu |
Best Actor |
Cinema Express |
|
1995 |
Muthu |
Best Actor |
Kalasagar Award (Bombay) |
|
1995 |
Muthu |
Best Actor |
Filmfans Association |
|
1995 |
Muthu |
Best Actor |
Government of Tamil Nadu |
|
1995 |
--- |
Oshobismit Award for Spirituality |
Rajinish Ashram |
|
1995 |
Peddarayudu |
Best Actor |
South Screen |
|
1999 |
Padayappa |
Best Actor |
Government of Tamil Nadu |
|
2000 |
--- |
Padma Bhushan |
Government of India |
|
2005 |
Chandramukhi |
Best Actor |
Government of Tamil Nadu |
|
2007 |
Sivaji |
Best Actor |
Government of Tamil Nadu |
|
2007 |
Sivaji |
Best Actor (nomination) |
Filmfare |
|
2007 |
|
Raj Kapoor Award |
Government of Maharashtra |
|
2007 |
Sivaji |
Favourite Hero |
Vijay |
|
2008 |
--- |
Indian Entertainer of the Year 2007 |
NDTV |
|
? |
--- |
Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Indian Cinema |
Vijay |
|
2010 |
Enthiran |
Best Actor (nomination) |
Filmfare |
|
2010 |
Enthiran |
Best Villain |
Vijay |
|
2010 |
Enthiran |
Favourite Hero |
Vijay |
|
2011 |
--- |
MGR-Sivaji Award |
Government of Tamil Nadu |
|
2011 |
--- |
Entertainer of the Decade |
NDTV |
|
2011 |
--- |
Most Stylish actor |
NDTV |
|
2013 |
--- |
The 25 Greatest Global Living Legends |
NDTV |
See also...
...the profiles of all important actresses currently active in South Indian cinema, either by entering their names in the Search rectangle (top right) or by clicking the Cinema-TV-Pop link below.
See also the pages on
...for a detailed storyline, updated box office performance, critical reception, pre-release details and 18 images/ photographs/ stills from all songs of Lingaa.
