Ten Off-Beat roles with which Rajini mesmerised his Fans

Kollywood and the rest of the world is in a frenzy as the 67th birthday of the doyen of Tamil cinema, Superstar Rajinikanth is here. As part of our festivities on the occasion we have listed out ten off beat roles of the Thalaivar far flung from his mass hero image but which mesmerise fans and audiences till today.

'Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri' - Sampath

The 1977 film directed by S.P. Muthuraman is not only significant for being the first hero role for Rajini but also for the experimentation of casting Sivakumar as the villain. Rajini played the rare tragic character to perfection and the song "Raja enbaar manthiri enbaar" is hailed as a classic.

'16 Vayadhinile' - Parattai

Bharathiraja created Parattai one of the most iconic villain characters of all time and Rajini infused life into it to make it is own and even after decades no one else can be imagined as that detestable rogue.

'Gayathri' - Rajarathnam

The younger generation will find it difficult to digest the Thalaivar as a blue filmmaker and that too one who dupes women into marrying him and then films their private moments. But Rajini did it with conviction and his villainy is all in his eyes and body language which is how the role should be played and is evident in the song 'Vaazhve Maayama...".

'Mullum Malarum' - Kaali

The epitome of "the ruffian with a good heart" is most definitely Kaali of 'Mullum Malarum' donned by the Superstar. It is a treat to watch Rajini as the rebellious winch driver having a grudge against his superior while showing his tender side to his loving sister and the girl who pines for him.

'Aval Appadithaan' - Thyagu

The most underrated film of Tamil cinema 'Aval Appadithaan' has Sripriya in her career best role as a bold woman even by today's standards and Kamal Haasan as feminist. But the near scene stealer in this absolute classic is Rajinikanth as the male chauvinistic businessman whose arrogance is once again nothing but sheer pleasure to watch.

'Aarlirunthu Arubathu Varai' - Santhanam

Rajini is said to have been apprehensive about playing a sacrificial character full of sentiments minus his usual flamboyance. But the film remains his best till date for his natural and subtle acting especially in the scene, his sister insults him and when he loses his wife to a fire.

'Johnny' - Johnny and Vidyasagar

Dual roles are usually played in commercial mass entertainers but in this one the intense filmmaker Mahendran weaved in high drama for Rajini to play two diverse characters as a philosophical barber and a fortune hunter both on the run for crimes of passion.

'Netri Kann' - Chakravarthi and Santhosh

A film that had masters at work Visu writing the story, KB the screenplay and S.P. Muthuraman directing. Rajini played to the gallery as the ageing incorrigible womaniser who finally meets his match in a girl he rapes who turns his life upside down with the help of his own son again played by Rajini himself.

'Kai Kodukkum Kai' - Kaalimuthu

The 1984 film directed by Mahendran again had Rajini in a subtle role of a villager who has to deal with the rape of his blind wife by his close aide. Though this film failed at the box office it is one of the last glimpse of underplay by the Superstar who then became larger than life as The Mass Hero of Indian cinema and remains so till this day.

Kollywood and the rest of the world is in a frenzy as the 67th birthday of the doyen of Tamil cinema, Superstar Rajinikanth is here.