Rajinikanth sings for Kochadaiyaan

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth joined in recording a song for Kochadaiyaan. Kochadaiyaan is a 3D film, which is expected to be shot with motion capture. The director of the film is the superstar's daughter - Soundarya Ashwin.

Last month Deepika Padukone was confirmed to play the lead opposite Rajinikanth in the film. So far, the confirmed cast of the film includes Rajinikanth, R. Sarathkumar and Deepika Padukone. Oscar winner A R Rahman (seen in the picture too) will compose the music.

Coming Up: Rajinikanth prays at Tirumala Temple

Legendary actor Rajinikanth and his family visited the temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala.

This was the superstar's first visit to the temple after he returned from prolonged treatment in Singapore.

Temple authorities said that the superstar weighed himself in Kalakund (sweet) inside the temple as part of the rituals.

Rajini, an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara, was accompanied by best friend and Telugu film star Mohan Babu, apart from his family.

Coming Up: Mohan Babu meets best friend Rajini...

South superstar Rajinikanth, recuperating in Chennai after his illness, had a surprise visit this weekend from his friend of over 30 years - Telugu actor and producer Mohan Babu.The two stars had lunch and spent time catching up.

Coming Up: When Badshah met the Boss.

While launching the audio for the Tamil version of his superhero flick, RA.One, Shah Rukh Khan met legendary actor Rajinikanth in Chennai.

The King Khan spent about 30-35 minutes with the Thalaivar. "I had a cup of coffee with him, he gave me coconut water. I spent about half an hour with him and he was cheerful and happy and he was wishing me luck for my film," SRK told NDTV.

"You know I can't compare myself with the great Rajini sir. I wanted to take his blessings, to be a part of the film. So he himself and his wife sent me dinner- they are such kind people. So, I just wanted to go and thank them personally. And I was happy to see him full hale and healthy, it was really nice to see him and to convey my regards of everyone in the unit," SRK said.

Looking pretty between the two superstars is Rajinikanth's daugther Soundarya, who facilitated Rajini's cameo in RA.One.

Coming up: Rajinikanth with Lakshmi Manchu...

Actor-producer Lakshmi Manchu finally tweeted the image millions of superstar Rajinikanth's fans have been waiting for.

"Met w Rajinikanth uncle. He looks fabulous. Feels great. Was so great to see him. Will upload pic soon. :) our SUPER STAR is backkk stronger," Lakshmi Manchu tweeted on September 28, promising to post a pic.

That promise was fulfilled just hours ago, and this is the pic she posted.

The superstar has been away from the public eye since returning to Chennai from Singapore in July after treatment.

This week his other somewhat public but closely-guarded appearance was a brief visit to the sets of Shah Rukh Khan's Ra. One to shoot a cameo.

Coming Up: Rare photos of the Thalaivar

Ladies and gentleman, feast your eyes on history.

You're looking at a 20-something Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, the man who would later rule the world as Rajinikanth.

It's common knowledge that the superstar was once a bus conductor with the Bangalore Transport Service (BTS). His mannerisms and, umm, conduct were so unique that most of his regular passengers encouraged him to try for the movies.

To cut a very long story very short, he did. (This image was shared on Twitter).

This is a photograph of India's version of Mount Rushmore.

Seated left to right are four cinematic stalwarts, Tamil actor-politician Vijayakanth, regional film superstar Kamal Haasan, Tamil demi-God Rajinikanth and Tamil star Sathyaraj. (This image was shared on Twitter).

Coming up: Rajinikanth, a life in pictures

Since his return to Chennai from Singapore on July 13, superstar Rajinikanth has reportedly been resting in his farmhouse at Kelambakkam, to avoid an influx of fans and well-wishers.

The superstar has been advised rest by doctors following his illness and protracted recuperation, first in Chennai and then in Singapore.

Meanwhile, movie buffs are agog over the legendary actor's reported cameo in Shah Rukh Khan's Diwali flick, RA.One.

While fans have been praying for Rajinikanth's speedy recovery and his return to the big screen with Rana, the Thalaivar has been away from public life. He is likely to resume acting in October.

This image shows 1,008 men who underwent a 48-day fast, after which they tonsured their heads as an offering to Lord Murugan at the Palani temple in Tamil Nadu, in early August.

Coming up: Images of the Thalaivar recuperating in Singapore.

These images of the Thalaivar have surfaced on some blogs and social networking sites, ostensibly during his stay in Singapore.
Fans can rest assured, the superstar looked cheerful and in good spirit.

(Posted by fans on blogs and social sites. NDTV cannot vouch for the veracity of the images.)

One can hardly imagine that Rajinikanth was ailing, as he walks out of the hospital, he looks like his good old self.

(Posted by fans on blogs and social sites. NDTV cannot vouch for the veracity of the images.)

Coming up: Rajini's grand welcome home

Superstar Rajinikanth, returned home to a rousing reception on Wednesday (July 13), amidst indications that the shooting for his suspended period film Rana, could resume by October.

"The superstar is likely to hold discussions (with the director) as he would take rest for the next few months. The shooting for Rana may resume by October-November," film industry sources said today.

After six weeks of treatment in Singapore, the actor returned to Chennai on July 13 to scores of fans' loud cheers and chanting of "Thalaiva"( leader).

The superstar and his family touched down at Chennai Airport. Rajini's wife Latha and daughters Aishwarya Dhanush (seen here with him) and Soundarya accompanied the superstar from Singapore.

At the airport, a smiling and spectacled actor, sporting stubble, greeted his fans with folded hands, a trademark Rajini style, telling them all was well with the 61 year-old star.

After being discharged from hospital in Singapore on June 15, the superstar had stayed back to recuperate.

While euphoric fans celebrate the Thalaivar's return, unconfirmed reports say the superstar will be back on the sets of Rana in the next two months.

Fans gathered at the airport to welcome their hero.

Fans outside the airport.
Coming up: Recent updates on the superstar during his illness.

Southern superstar Rajinikanth's fans have put up vinyls across Chennai to welcome their hero. Actor Allu Shirish posted this picture on Twitter and said: "On popular demand here's the "Welcome back Rajini" vinyls in Chennai :)".

In a recent letter to his fans, Rajini had acknowledged that it was their prayers and love which saved him. "It was your love that enabled me to recover and I will never forget your love. My only goal now is to entertain you. Soon I will return with Rana to make you happy," he said.
Rajinikanth apologised to fans for not communicating with them earlier and added, "You have the world how much you love me."

Rajinikanth was discharged from the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore in June. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi were among those who spoke to the star during his treatment at Mount Elizabeth hospital in Singapore. He even congratulated the new CM on her victory in the state elections.
The actor's son-in-law, Dhanush then tweeted: "Superstar discharged from hospital. He has recovered completely and taking rest. Soon national award celebrations :) god bless"

Rajinikanth had flown to Singapore for "rest and rehabilitation" after being discharged from a private hospital in Chennai where he was admitted for respiratory problems. The megastar was wheeled in through the cargo entrance through gate number two, even as media personnel and others waited around gate numbers five and six, airport sources said.

Rajini was taken to the waiting aircraft in an ambulance and waved to the fans who gathered at the airport before being escorted into the flight, sources said. He was accompanied by his two daughters and son-in-laws, including actor Dhanush and his personal doctor Muralidharan, sources said.

The superstar's son-in-law and actor Dhanush posted this Twitpic to reassure fans that Rajinikanth was recuperating.

For one of the triple roles in his upcoming movie Rana, Rajinikanth needed to slim down from 75 kg to 60 kg and he started the strict diet regime a month earlier.

On a liquid diet, while he did manage to shed around 15 kg in a span of 20 days, it took a toll on his health.

Rajinikanth, fondly called Thalaivar (Leader) by his fans, was born on December 12, 1950 to a Marathi family in Bangalore.

He was the fourth child of his parents, Jijabai and Ramojirao Gaekwad, a police constable. He lost his mother at the age of five. He attended elementary school at the Acharya Paathshala in Basavanagudi, Bangalore and then at the Vivekananda Balaka Sangha.

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Rajinikanth struggled a lot during his early age because of his family's low income. Although his mother-tongue is Marathi he has not yet acted in any Marathi films.

He worked with various jobs in Bangalore and also attended a theatre for stage plays. Before starting his career in the film industry, he used to practice stunts at the Rama Hanuman Temple at a hill near his house.

He then primarily worked as a bus conductor for the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation in Bangalore. His charisma and style were noted by the passengers who travelled with him and gave him suggestions in becoming an actor.

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It was during this time that he nurtured his acting interests by performing in various stage plays.

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

He is best known for his mass popularity and appeal, largely drawn from his mannerisms and stylized delivery of dialogue in films. Other than acting, Rajinikanth worked as a screenwriter, film producer, and also a playback singer.

Apart from his film career, he is a philanthropist and also serves as an influence in the politics of Tamil Nadu.

Rajinikanth joined the Madras Film Institute in 1974. As of 2002, he has acted in over 150 films, which includes Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, English and Bengali language films.

Rajinikanth debuted as an actor in 1975 under the direction of K Balachander in supporting roles. He was later favoured in portraying antagonistic characters and gradually rose to acting in lead roles.

Rajinikanth's first film was in Tamil, where he was initially casted in supporting roles, debuting as a cancer patient in Apoorva Raagangal in 1975.

The film was directed by K Balachander, who is constantly referred by Rajinikanth 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 SP Muthuraman who actually revamped Rajinikanth's image entirely.

Muthuraman first experimented with him in a positive role in Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri (1977), as a villain in the first half of the film and a protagonist in the second.

Around this time Mullum Malarum (1978), directed by J Mahendran, established Rajinikanth in the Tamil film arena as a film hero. After the release of his 1978 film Bhairavi, he became known as the "super star" of Tamil cinema, which was the title given to him by film producer S Thanu and till this date used by many people to refer to him.

The success of Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri prompted Muthuraman to make a mushy melodrama with Rajinikanth as a hero sacrificing everything for his siblings in Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai (1979).

These films were the turning points in Rajinikanth's career; he changed from an actor who merely enthralled the audiences to one who could also evoke emotions.

The acceptance of Rajinikanth sans his stylized mannerisms proved he had at last become a "star" from a "common actor." His film roles were mainly as a villain during the period 1975 to 1977, co-starring frequently with Kamal Haasan as the protagonist, in movies like 16 Vayadhinilae, Moondru Mudichu and Avargal.

He also appeared in the cinemas of other nations, including American cinema. He was paid Rs 26 crores for Sivaji: The Boss, making him the highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan.

Rajinikanth made his debut in Bollywood with Andha Kanoon but the film went on to become a poor grosser.

He still appeared in several Hindi films, such as Chaalbaaz, Uttar Dakshan, Giraftaar and Hum.

During a phase of his career, Rajinikanth abruptly chose to quit acting, but was coaxed back. He continued acting with the blockbuster Tamil film Billa, which was a remake of the blockbuster Bollywood movie Don.

With its phenomenal success he 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 Rajni's career.

He acted in his first cameo role alongside Meena Durairaj, who was a child actor then, 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 movie, Sri Raghavendra, he played the Hindu saint Raghavendra Swami.

He starred in the 1988 American film Bloodstone, which released with much fanfare in India, however, unsuccessful in the United States.

The movies released during the nineties included Thalapathy, Mannan, Annamalai, Uzhaippali, Veera, Muthu, Arunachalam and Padayappa.

Rajinikanth wrote his first screenplay and acted as a special appearance in the film Valli (1993). His film Baasha was released in 1995.

His 1995 film Muthu was dubbed into Japanese while his 2005 film Chandramukhi was dubbed in German and released in all German-speaking nations.

Director KS Ravikumar's Padayappa was released in 1999.

After more than a three-year sabbatical from cinema, at 52 years of age, he starred in his home production, Baba which released on 15 August 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 chose to act in director P. Vasu's Tamil remake of Manichithrathazhu, Chandramukhi. Chandramukhi was released on 14 April 2005, and went on to create new box office records such as being the longest running Tamil film, as of 2007.

Just after Chandramukhi's release, it was reported that AVM Productions were to produce a film directed by S Shankar starring Rajinikanth.

The film was titled Sivaji: The Boss and released on 15 June 2007 went on to become ranked among other major releases of the year.

Sivaji charted as one of the top-ten best films of United Kingdom and South Africa box-offices upon release.

Following Sivaji, Rajinikanth worked with P Vasu again for Kuselan, a remake of the Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol, in which Rajinikanth played a cameo role as himself, a star in the Indian film industry, and as a best friend to the main character.

Some distributors incurred major losses due to the film, for which Rajinikanth voluntarily settled with his own budget.

During the course of the production for Sivaji, Ocher Studios, the animation company of Rajinikanth's daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth, in association with Adlabs announced their intention of producing a CGI animation film starring an animated version of Rajinikanth.

He has lent his voice to the lead character in the project is titled Sultan: The Warrior; directed by his daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth with music provided by AR Rahman.

Rajinikanth again teamed up with S Shankar and AR Rahman for Endhiran.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is acting opposite Rajinikanth as heroine for the first time.

Released on Oct 1, 2010, Endhiran was Rajinikanth's latest film which was a huge hit at the box office. He romanced Aishwarya Rai in the movie.

He has won a Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award for Nallavanuku Nallavan in 1984 and Muthu in 1994.

Between 1977 and 2005, Rajinikanth received several awards from Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, Filmfare Awards, Cinema Express and Filmfans Association for his on-screen performances and off-screen contributions in writing and producing.

He has received awards in the Best Actor category for his performance in the films Sivaji, Chandramukhi, Padayappa, Peddarayudu, Baasha, Muthu, Annamalai, Thalapathy, Velaikaran, Sri Raghavendra, Nallavanuku Nallavan, Moondru Mugam, Enkeyo Ketta Kural, Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai, Mullum Malarum and 16 Vayathinile.

He received an award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Bhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri.

He has also received awards in Best Story Writer and Best Producer categories for Valli.

He has also received other honours such as the Raj Kapoor Award in 2007 from the Government of Maharashtra.

In September 2005, Rajinikanth won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the film Chandramukhi.

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

He married Latha Rangachari, on 26 February 1981, at the age of 31 in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and they have two daughters named Aishwarya Rajinikanth and Soundarya Rajinikanth.

His wife, Latha Rajinikanth currently runs a school named The Ashram. His elder daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth married actor Dhanush on 18 November 2004 and they have one son named Yathra. His second daughter, Soundarya Rajinikanth, works in the film industry as a director, producer and graphic designer.

His second daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth also tied the knot recently.

In 1995 Rajinikanth announced that he is willing to support the Congress party after meeting Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. In 1996, when the Congress Party decided to align with AIADMK, Rajinikanth supported DMK-TMC alliance.

In 1996 Rajinikanth supported the DMK-TMC alliance in parliamentary elections. In 2002 Rajinikanth undertook a day-long fast to protest Karnataka's decision to not to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.