44 years of Rajinikanth in the industry: A look at Thalaivar’s career
One of the best known names in Indian cinema, Rajinikanth, completes 44 years in the film industry today. Although primarily a Tamil actor, Thalaivar (as he is lovingly called by his fans) has also appeared in Telugu, Hindi and Kannada films. (Photo from Express Archives)
Rajinikanth is so synonymous with Tamil cinema that it is easy to forget he was born a Maharashtrian called Shivaji Rao Gaekwad on December 12, 1950. (Photo from Express Archives)
The Superstar made his film debut at the age of 25 in a Tamil film called Apoorva Raagangal. The film interestingly also starred Kamal Haasan. (Photo from Express Archives)
Rajinikanth’s first Hindi film was Andha Kanoon, which released in 1982. (Photo from Express Archives)
Rajinikanth is a Padma Vibhushan awardee. He was conferred with the honour in 2016. (Photo from Express Archives)
Rajinikanth’s films are actually events. Millions of his fans worldwide await the release of his films with bated breath. Often, the distributors have to increase the number of screenings to accommodate the huge number of moviegoers. (Photo from Express Archives)
Thalaivar was last seen in Petta. His next project is titled Darbar. (Photo from Express Archives)
The longevity and consistency of Rajinikanth’s career are only surpassed by its versatility. The superstar has proven adept at any genre the filmmakers have cast him in, and this includes science-fiction as well. His Enthiran, released in 2010, was then the most expensive film in India. Its ‘spiritual successor’ called 2.0, released in 2018. (Photo from Express Archives)
