Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday Thalaiva
One of the greatest actors Indian cinema has ever produced, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth continues to remain larger than life to his fans as he turns 65. The actor, who has been busy filming 2.0, has requested his fans to call off all plans made to ring in his birthday.
NDTV toasts Rajini sir with a pictorial journey through his life as he turns a year older.
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Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaOne of the greatest actors Indian cinema has ever produced, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth continues to remain larger than life to his fans as he turns 65. The actor, who has been busy filming 2.0, has requested his fans to call off all plans made to ring in his birthday.
NDTV toasts Rajini sir with a pictorial journey through his life as he turns a year older. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaRajinikanth, born on December 12, 1950 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. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaThe 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. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaWhile 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. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaThe 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'. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaThe following year, Rajinikanth acted in his first Kannada film, Katha Sangama, directed by Puttanna Kanagal. Though Rajinikanth considers director K Balachander 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. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaThese 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. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaThen came a phase when Rajinikanth abruptly chose to quit acting, but then was coaxed back by family, friends and fans. He continued acting with the blockbuster Tamil film Billa (1980), which was a remake of Big B's superhit film Don (1978). With its phenomenal success, Rajinikanth was accepted as a full-fledged hero. Billa was followed by a row of hits, namely Murattu Kaalai (1980), Pokkiri Raja (1982), Thanikattu Raja (1982), Naan Mahaan Alla (1984), Pudukavithai (1982) and Moondru Mugam (1983). -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaHe acted in his first cameo role alongside child actor Meena Durairaj in the movie Anbulla Rajinikanth (1984). More box-office hits dominated the 1980s with Padikkathavan, Thee, Velaikaran, Dharmathin Thalaivan, Mr Bharath and Maaveeran. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaRajinikanth made his Bollywood debut with Andha Kanoon (1983) but the film didn't do well at the box office. Despite his Bollywood debacle, he was seen in several Hindi films including Chaalbaaz (1989), Uttar Dakshin (1987), Geraftaar (1985) and the famous Hum (1991) opposite Amitabh Bachchan. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaRajinikanth's movies in 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 opened in 1995. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaNext came the 2010 blockbuster Enthiran opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The film, made at a whopping cost of Rs 200 crore, collected Rs 117 crore in the first seven days, even surpassing the first-week collection of Bollywood's highest grosser Dabangg (Rs 82 crore) in 2010. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaRajinikanth 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. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaRajinikanth was 31 when he married Latha on February 26, 1981, in Tirupati. The couple have two daughters. Elder daughter Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth is married to actor Dhanush and made her debut as a director with 3.
Rajinikanth's younger daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth works in the film industry as a director, producer and graphic designer. She also directed Kochadaiiyaan which starred her father in the lead role. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaAfter his illness, Rajinikanth made his first public appearance in 2012 to watch actor and dramatist Y G Mahendran's play in Chennai. Since his illness, Rajinikanth has kept a low-profile and, as revealed by elder daughter Aishwaryaa, spent his time with his grandsons Yathra and Linga. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaWhile on the sabbatical, Rajinikanth also agreed to do a very special cameo in RA.One (2011), 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 Enthiran. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaRajinikanth was next seen in 2014's Kochadaiiyaan directed by his younger daughter Soundarya R Ashwin. The film, which also featured Deepika Padukone, Jackie Shroff and Sarath Kumar, turned out to be a damp squib leaving distributors in huge losses. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaRajinikanth was next seen as a gangster opposite Radhika Apte in Kabali. In the film he played the role of a benevolent Malaysian don hoping to reunite with his family, once he learns they survived a fatal mishap. -
Rajinikanth Version 2.0 @66. Happy Birthday ThalaivaRajinikanth is currently prepping for 2.0, which is the sequel to Enthiran. Rajinijkanth reprises the role of Dr Vaseegaran who has a new nemesis, Dr Richard, played by Akshay Kumar. Amy Jackson and Sudhanshu Pandey also feature in the Shankar-directed film slated to release on Diwali, next year.
