Rajinikanth at Kochadaiyaan preview

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth watched the preview of his upcoming film Kochadaiyaan, a period drama.

Kochadaiyaan also features Bollywood siren Deepika Padukone.

Rajinikanth poses with the cast and crew of the film.

Coming Up: Rajinikanth catches up with old friend Mohan Babu

Megastar Rajinikanth spent some time catching up with old friend and renowned Telugu actor Mohan Babu in Chandragiri, Andhra Pradesh. Their friendship dates back to the time when the two actors studied together at the Madras Film Institute.

The actors try and take time out of their busy schedules to meet each other occasionally.

Coming up: Rajinikanth celebrates birthday with fans

Tamil superstar, who turned 62 on 12/12/12, decided to commemorate the occasion by breaking with tradition. And at 9 am, he walked out of his house to wave to fans gathered outside his residence in Chennai.

Tamil superstar, who will be soon seen in Kochadaiyaan directed by his younger daughter Soundarya, said: " 12 12 12 is a very significant day in my life, my heart felt thanks for all".

Fans outside Rajiniakanth's residence in Chennai.

The 3D version of his blockbuster hit Sivaji hit screens today. All the fifteen screens showing the 3D film across Chennai had sold-out shows.

Rajini fans also rushed to temples across the state, seeking divine blessings for their hero. In this picture Rajinikanth is seen greeting his fans.

Coming Up: Rajinikanth@62: Date with destiny

Everything about Rajinikanth is larger-than-life, including his 62nd birthday birthday which promises to be a superdate with superthrills. Rajini Sir's birthday this year will read 12.12.12. And if that were not enough, the superstar has a very special birthday gift in the form of the 3D version of his blockbuster film Sivaji which will be released on the day. The much-awaited Kochadaiyaan opposite Deepika Padukone is also due to hit the screens soon. Rajini Sir has much to look forward to and with that sweet anticipation, let's take a look at the life and times of the actor who, fans would say, doesn't just rock the box-office, but owns it.

Rajinikanth, born on December 12, 1949 to a Marathi family in Bangalore, is the fourth child of his parents, Jijabai and police constable Ramojirao Gaekwad. Rajinikanth's real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad.

The cash-strapped Gaekwads struggled financially when Rajinikanth was young. He earned an income in several small jobs in Bangalore and Chennai, including as a coolie, before ending up as a bus conductor with the Bangalore Transport Service. He also appeared in local stage plays, most notably as Duryodhan.

While working as a bus conductor, his charisma and style were noted by passengers who suggested he become an actor. A friend helped him out financially and Rajinikanth joined the Madras Film Institute in 1974. The Kannada-speaking Rajinikanth also learnt to speak Tamil, a move that was to pay rich dividends.

The rich dividends started with Rajinikanth's very first film which was in Tamil. He was cast in a supporting role, debuting as an abusive husband in Apoorva Raagangal in 1975. The film was directed by K Balachander, who Rajinikanth refers to as his "guru" or mentor.

The following year, Rajinikanth acted in his first Kannada film, Katha Sangama, directed by Puttanna Kanagal. Though Rajinikanth refers to director K Balachander as his mentor, it was director S P Muthuraman who actually revamped Rajinikanth's image. Muthuraman next cast him in the experimental Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri (1977), as a villain in the first half of the film and a protagonist in the second.

These films were the turning points in Rajinikanth's career; he changed from an actor who merely enthralled the audience to one who could also evoke emotions. Between 1975 and 1977, he was also frequently cast as the villain with Kamal Haasan playing the hero in movies like 16 Vayadhinilae, Moondru Mudichu and Avargal.

The superstar was 31 when he married Latha on February 26, 1981, in Tirupati. His elder daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth is married to actor Dhanush and made her directorial debut with 3.

His younger daughter, Soundarya Rajinikanth, works in the film industry as a director, producer and graphic designer. She is married to industrialist Ashwin Ramkumar.

Rajinikanth made his Bollywood debut with Andha Kanoon but the film didn't do well at the box office. Despite his Bollywood debacle, he was seen in several Hindi films, including Chaalbaaz, Uttar Dakshan, Geraftaar and the famous Hum opposite Amitabh Bachchan.

Then came a phase when Rajini abruptly chose to quit acting, but then was coaxed back by family, friends and fans. He continued acting with the blockbuster Tamil film Billa, which was a remake of Big B's superhit film Don. With it's phenomenal success, Rajinikanth was accepted as a full-fledged hero. Billa was followed by a row of hits, namely Murattu Kaalai, Pokkiri Raja, Thanikattu Raja, Naan Mahaan Alla, Pudukavithai and Moondru Mugam.

K Balachander's first home production, Netrikan, proved to be yet another milestone in Rajini's career. He acted in his first cameo role alongside child actor Meena Durairaj in the movie Anbulla Rajinikanth. (1984). More box-office hits dominated the 1980's with Padikkathavan, Thee, Velaikaran, Dharmathin Thalaivan, Mr Bharath and Maaveeran.

In his 100th film, Sri Raghavendra, Rajinikanth played the Hindu saint Raghavendra Swami.

He starred in the 1988 American film Bloodstone, which released with much fanfare in India, but went unnoticed in the United States.

The movies released during the 90s included Thalapathy, Mannan, Annamalai, Uzhaippali, Veera, Muthu, Arunachalam and Padayappa. Rajinikanth wrote his first screenplay and made a special appearance in the film Valli (1993). His film Baashha was released in 1995.

After a three-year sabbatical from cinema, Rajinikanth, then 52, starred in his home production, Baba (2002). The screenplay revolved around the story about a gangster who later engages in spirituality. It fell short of market expectations and the high bids reportedly translated to heavy losses for the distributors which Rajinikanth repaid.

Rajinikanth appeared in director P Vasu's Tamil remake of Manichithrathazhu, Chandramukhi. The movie, which released in 2005, went on to create new box office records, among them becoming the longest running Tamil film. Next came Sivaji: The Boss (2007) which was charted as one of the top-10 Best Films of United Kingdom and South Africa box-offices upon release.

But these hits were followed by the dud Kuselan, a remake of Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol, in which Rajinikanth played a cameo role as himself, a star in the Indian film industry, and a best friend to the main character. Some distributors incurred major losses due to the film which Rajinikanth voluntarily compensated them with his own money.

Next came the blockbuster Endhiran (Robot) opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, made at a whopping cost of Rs 200 crore. The film collected Rs 117 crore in the first seven days, even surpassing the first-week collection of Bollywood's highest first-week grosser, Dabangg (Rs 82 crore) in 2010.

The superstar has received a gamut of awards for many of his films. He bagged the Filmfare Best Actor (Tamil) award for Nallavanuku Nallavan in 1984 and for Muthu in 1994.

He received India's third highest honour, the Padma Bhushan, for his contribution to Indian cinema in 2000.

Rajinikanth also received Tamil Nadu State Film Awards in the Best Actor category for his roles in Muthu (1995), Padayappa (1999), Chandramukhi (2005), and Sivaji (2007). He also received numerous awards from Cinema Express and Filmfans' Association for his on-screen performances and off-screen contributions in writing and producing.

The superstar was named the Entertainer of the Decade at the NDTV Indian of the Year 2010 Awards.

While all appears to be going well for the superstar at present, things were not quite so in 2011 when the star was out of action after he developed health problems and was flown to Singapore for treatment.

Scores of the Tamil superstar's fans heaved a sigh of relief when they saw their hero arrive at the Chennai airport more than a month after treatment and rest for a kidney ailment.

The megastar made his first public appearance post illness in 2012. The Thalaivar visited actor and dramatist YG Mahendran's drama show in Chennai.

Since his illness, Rajinikanth has kept a low-profile and, as revealed by elder daughter Aishwarya, spends his time with his grandsons Yathra and Linga.

Despite taking a break from acting, Rajinikanth agreed to do a very special cameo in RA.One, Shah Rukh Khan's ambitious sci-fi flick. He was seen as Chitti, the role made famous by him in his own sci-fi blockbuster, Robot. When he dropped by the sets of RA.One with his daughter Soundarya in tow, SRK tweeted: "RA.One completed today. Rajini sir blessed it. Have tears in my eyes of gratitude and only prayers and love for his whole family. You complete us sir."

The superstar will now be seen in a 3D film titled Kochadaiyaan which is his younger daughter Soundarya R Ashwin's directorial debut. The period drama is the superstar's first film after his illness. Kochadaiyaan is reportedly a prequel to animated film Rana, filming for which will be revived after Kochadaiyan is complete.

With his health slowly back on track, Rajinikanth, an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara, also paid a visit to the temple accompanied by his best friend and Telugu film star, Mohan Babu, and some members of his family.

The veteran actor was recently spotted at the wedding reception of Aishwaraya and Jothikrishna, son of producer A M Rathnam.

Here's wishing the superstar a very happy birthday.