His life history is perhaps best described through a short speech delivered at the NDTV Greatest Global Living Legends. “Many people do not believe in miracles. Miracles do happen. An ordinary bus conductor sharing the dais with the greatest living legends is a miracle. Miracles do happen.” Sivaji Rao Gaekwad irreversibly has become the Superstar cutting the borders of generations.

Before becoming the icon that he is today, he did various odd jobs, purely for the sake of earning a livelihood, in Bangalore. Though, a bus conductor, his interest in acting made him look outside the limits of one particular job. Playing characters with grey shades attracted him. He had already gotten used to earning praises for his stylish vigor. Slowly his feet itched him to join Madras Film Institute where he could learn acting for screen. The clock struck 1975. K. Balachander dubbed as Iyakkunar Sigaram` handpicked the young man for a role in his directorial project Apoorva Raagangal. No looking back for Rajinikanth from then on yet he had to compete with another relative newcomer, Kamal Haasan, for screen space. Kamal, a handsome young man, was also equally nervous starring alongside an actor who had studied acting in a film school. Usually Kamal was the frontrunner for the leading man and Rajini was the evil thinker. An atheist and an absolute believer of god together. Certainly their discussions would have been exhilarating and so were the films.

By the time he reached his third year in a career spanning almost four decades he was a superstar. “I believe in destiny” is the philosophy he seems to have charted for himself which has worked in his favor.

Certainly we have all enjoyed the Ravana in Rajinikanth. Kamal, or for that matter, any other actor in Tamil cinema is yet to draw applause for a negative role. Chappani (Kamal Haasan) might have won Mayilu (Sri Devi) in 16 Vayathinile (1977) but it is Parattai who gives that extra sharpness to the nascence of Bharathiraja`s debut. Forward 33 years: Enthiran. Who`s the best? Obviously, the reborn Chitti who kidnaps Sana (Aishwarya Rai). Another name that`s going to get whistles in this line – Manick Baashha.

Can Ravana be humorous? Watch Thillu Mullu. His comic timing is perfect in the remake of the 1979 Hindi film Gol Maal. We have seen numerous police officers on screen. Honest police officers who are killed or brutish police officers who are punished in the end. Alex Pandian in Moondru Mugam (1982) is where we see a smoking officer (not hot, hot-tempered). Whenever he lights up a cigarette, there`s an urge to repeat it in a similar fashion.

How can a superstar jump generations? Meena is Rajini`s daughter in Enkeyo Ketta Kural (1984). And his wife in Veera (1994). Only few have managed to do that on-screen. That`s incestuous off the screen by the way.

Without a moment`s hesitation he narrates a story of how he was ridiculed when he said he`d be romancing Aishwarya Rai in Enthiran by his brother`s neighbor at the audio launch. Beside the superstar somewhere within him still sleeps a humble Sivaji Rao. Accented Tamil, punch dialogues, mannerisms; they cohere. Imagine a 4 AM show running to packed houses. Where do you find queues longer than Hanuman`s tail? Walk in to a theatre screening Rajinikanth`s film. A 64-year-old carrying the charisma of a 30-year-old is marvelous. Not everything he has touched has turned out to be gold. 21st century saw some turkeys as well. He is not letting us down, there`s Lingaa, releasing today.

Superstar:
an ENTERTAINER, never before, never again.
1978 - 2014 and Beyond.
150+ Films
40+ Awards