Submitted by: Amit Raj Patel

Is he merely a mega star? People unfamiliar with the intricate ways Tamil films, its popularity and its sway over politics would wonder. Such is his clout over the Tamilians all over the world that many of them are more than happy to sacrifice their life for their hero of reel life! One would, for one s intellectual boorishness, tend to dismiss it as classic case of hyper-emotions. But that is disdainful to meteoric rise of a bus conductor to super stardom and his unparalleled charisma, unrivalled mannerism, unmatched talents and uncanny knack of stirring the sentiments of millions.

He is Shivajirav Gaikwad alias Rajnikant. The living legend of Tamil films. An insightful film critic since childhood, Rajnikant also learned the finer nuances of cinema from Madras film institute. Though Katha Sangama was his debut film, it was Apoorva Ragaangal, directed by K Balachander, which brought him into limelight. He admits that K Balachander is his mentor as it was under his tutelage that he flourished as an actor. A veteran of more than 150 films, Rajni, as he is popularly known, may not be a critics choice. But he essentially is mass choice. He may not match the histrionics of some of his contemporaries. But none of his contemporaries matches his superlative style of acting and action. His flipping a cigarette before he catches it in his mouth would send the masses in hysteric delight. He has an uncanny knack of delivering the dialogues, which are carefully worded to strike straight at souls of masses.

Perhaps none in Indian cinema matches his acumen to reach out to the masses through dialogues and actions. No wonder he enjoys a peerless position not only in Indian cinema but in socio-cultural and political realm of Tamil Nadu as well. Over the years he has outgrown the status of mega star. The phenomenal success of his latest flicks Bhasha, Muthu, Arunachalam, Padayappa, underlines that fact. In Mani Ratnam-directed Dalapati, he gave a fitting reply to those critics who doubted his range of histrionics. Rajni is one of the few south Indian heroes who successfully crossed over to the North.

Andha Kannon , Giraftarr, Chal Baaz , Gangwa etc speak for his success in Bollywood. Of late, his stock of actions and idiosyncrasies has been a huge success abroad too. That his latest film Padayappa was sold to a Japanese distributor for a mind-boggling sum of 50,000$ is testimony to his popularity in Japan. This amount is termed to be highest amount any Indian film fetched for a commercial release. He is rare phenomenon in terms of commercial success of films. Even Amitabh Bachchan, the super star of Indian cinema, has given flops. But Rajni s films never flop in box-office. What is the secret of his enviable success? Critics attribute his success to his mysterious ability (whatever may be the role he enacts on the screen) to identify with the common folk.

In 1999, Rajni completed 25 years in cinema. The Government of Indian in recognition of his outstanding contribution conferred on him Padmabhushan the same year.

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