SuperStar Turns 60

One word describes what Rajinikanth means to every Tamil cinema fan – ‘Superstar’. He turns 60 today. It is a huge occasion, it is time to celebrate. We can’t find words to describe the colossus that he is. He has been called the ‘one man industry’ and many other superlatives. Let’s wish him many more years of life, health and success…because no one else can be Superstar.

It all began with the movie Bhairavi. It was not the idea of the director, producer or anyone directly associated with the making of the film. The distributor of the movie for the first time ever used the title ‘Superstar’ in the promotional posters. The audience loved it, the producers too followed suit and the title stuck forever. Now we know for sure, the man did not choose the title, the title chose the man and that is why it will have only one worthy holder forever.

He prefers the simplest of attire and accessories. We have always seen him in the most unassuming of colors. First it was all black, then started to regularly appear in the white kurta. He almost never wears shoes, unless his profession demands it. Otherwise it is always the simple slipper. 

Rajini is never known to leave the sets and enter his caravan. Not even when he wants to take rest does he retire to the comfort of the caravan, he prefers to stretch out somewhere on the set. He has remained an integral part of the crew throughout his career, he is the Superstar only on screen. On the set, he is as simple as anyone else.

Superstar is a man who loves his books. Most of his reading is on the spiritual side, religion and philosophy, which is evident from the way he speaks at functions. But, when he is not reading spiritual books, he likes reading the biographies of world leaders.

 This man, Raj Bahadur. We have to thank him profusely for persuading Rajinikanth to come to Madras and pursue a career in acting. If not for his persuasion and support, we do not know whether Superstar would have made the journey down south. Raj Bahadur was the driver of the Bangalore transport corporation bus in which Rajini worked as the conductor. He was one of the first to spot the actor in Rajinikanth. He is also one of Superstar’s closest friends, one who has a lot of freedom to talk with Superstar.

Another close friend of Rajini outside the film circle is a person named Gandhi works in the Accounts General Office. It is said that they talk on the phone almost everyday.