The South Indian superstar, Rajinikanth has an epic stardom in the entire nation. His fan following knows no bounds. He is one of the most bankable superstars in the Indian cinema. Rajinikanth’s fans not only idolize him but even worship him. His mainstream films that are largely made for the masses are his USP.
Rajinikanth’s Biography in detail
Personal Life:
In a Marathi family in Karnataka, India, Rajinikanth was born with the name Shivaji Rao Gaekwad. His forefathers hail from NachiKuppam, a hamlet in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district. He was the fourth kid born to police constables Jijabai and Ramojirao Gaekwad. The young kid lost his mother at the age of eight. Rajinikanth went to two schools. He started with Acharya Paathshala in Basavanagudi, Bangalore and then later transferred to Vivekananda Balaka Sangha.
At the age of 31, the actor married his wife Latha Parthasarathy, sister of actor Y. G. Mahendran’s wife, on February 26, 1981. Their marriage ceremony took place in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. The couple went on to have two daughters from their successful marriage. The elder daughter is named Aishwarya Rajinikanth and the younger one is called Soundarya Rajinikanth.
Professional Life:
Raj Bahadur, a fellow bus driver and friend of Rajinikanth, helped him gain admission to the Madras Film Institute in 1973. There, he completed his basic acting course under the guidance of the vice principal, A. Prabhakaran. Rajinikanth has an impressive filmography, with over 190 movies to his credit in seven different languages: Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, English, and Bengali.
Rajinikanth made his Bollywood debut with “Andha Kanoon,” although his success in the North Indian film industry didn’t match his southern stardom. He persevered and appeared in a few more Hindi films, including “Chaalbaaz” with Sridevi, “Uttar Dakshan,” “Geraftaar,” and “Hum.” In 1988, he ventured into Hollywood with “Bloodstone,” which, despite being a flop in the United States, created excitement upon its release in India.
His first Tamil film, “Apoorva Raagangal” in 1975, saw Rajinikanth in a supporting role as a cancer patient. He often refers to the filmmaker of this movie, K. Balachander, as his ‘Guru’ or ‘Mentor.’ In the same year, he debuted in his first Kannada film, “Katha Sangama,” directed by Puttanna Kanagal. While K. Balachander is considered his mentor, it was Puttanna Kanagal who played a pivotal role in reshaping Rajinikanth’s image and guiding him towards stardom.
