Rajinikanth | |
|---|---|
 Rajinikanth in 2019 | |
| Born | Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (1950-12-12)12 December 1950 (age 74)[1] Bangalore,Mysore State, India |
| Alma mater | Adyar Film Institute |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Children | |
| Relatives | SeeRajinikanth family |
| Awards | Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2019)[2] NTR National Award (2016) Kalaimamani (1984) (See full list) |
| Honours | Padma Vibhushan (2016)[3] Padma Bhushan (2000) |
Shivaji Rao Gaikwad[a][4] (born 12 December 1950), known professionally asRajinikanth,[b] is an Indian actor who predominantly works inTamil cinema.[6] In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films[c] that includes films inTamil,Hindi,Telugu,Kannada,Bangla, andMalayalam.[7] He is widely regarded to be one of the most successful and popular actors in the history ofIndian cinema.[8][9] Known for his uniquely styled mannerism and one liners in films, he has a huge fan base and acult following. TheGovernment of India honoured him with thePadma Bhushan in 2000 and thePadma Vibhushan in 2016, India's third and second highestcivilian honours respectively, and theDadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019, the highest Indian award in the field of cinema, for his contributions to Indian cinema.[10][11] He has won numerous film awards including oneNational Film Award, sevenTamil Nadu State Film Awards, aNandi Award, oneFilmfare Award and twoMaharashtra State Film Awards.
Following his debut inK. Balachander's 1975 Tamil dramaApoorva Raagangal, Rajinikanth's acting career commenced with a brief phase of portraying antagonistic characters in Tamil films. His major positive role as a scorned lover inS. P. Muthuraman'sBhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri (1977), 1978'sMullum Malarum andAval Appadithan received him critical acclaim; the former earned him aTamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for Best Actor.[12][13] By the end of the decade, he had worked in allSouth Indian film industries and established a career in Tamil cinema. He then playeddual roles in the action thrillerBilla (1980), a remake of the Hindi filmDon (1978). It was his biggest commercial success to that point, earned him stardom and gave him theaction hero image.[14] He starred in triple role inMoondru Mugam (1982), which earned him a special prize at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards ceremony. The following year, he made hisHindi film debut withT. Rama Rao's top grossingAndhaa Kaanoon (1983).[15]Nallavanukku Nallavan (1984) won him that year'sFilmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor.[16] In the latter half of the 1980s, he starred in several successful films in Tamil and Hindi, includingGeraftaar (1985),Padikkadavan (1985),Mr. Bharath (1986),Dosti Dushmani (1986),Velaikaran (1987),Manithan (1987),Dharmathin Thalaivan (1988) andChaalBaaz (1989).[17][18][19]
In 1991,Mani Ratnam's Tamil crime filmThalapathi, earned him major critical acclaim for his performance.[20] He collaborated withSuresh Krissna for many films includingAnnaamalai (1992) andBaashha (1995); the latter was the biggest commercial success in his career yet as well as the highest-grossing film in Tamil for many years.[21] His other success includesP. Vasu'sMannan (1992),Uzhaippali (1993) andK. S. Ravikumar'sMuthu (1995) andPadayappa (1999); the latter, which went on to become his and Tamil cinema's highest-grossing movie, exceedingBaashha.[22]
After a few years of hiatus, he returned to acting with thecomedy horror filmChandramukhi (2005); it went on to become again the highest-grossing Tamil film. His next,S. Shankar'sSivaji (2007) was the third Indian film and the first everTamil film to enter the100 Crore Club. He then played dual role as a scientist and anandro-humanoid robot in thescience fiction filmEnthiran (2010) and its sequel2.0 (2018), both beingIndia's most expensive productions at the time of their release and among thehighest-grossing Indian films of all time.[d] In 2023, his blockbusterJailer made a significant impact in the Tamil film industry, earning over₹600 crore (about US$70M). Later, in 2025, his filmCoolie crossed ₹500 crore, making him the only actor in the industry with three films surpassing the ₹500 crore mark.[24]
Rajinikanth was also named one of the most influential persons in South Asia byAsiaweek.[25][26] He was also named byForbes India as the most influential Indian of the year 2010.[27]
Rajinikanth was born as Shivaji Rao Gaikwad on 12 December 1950 in aMarathi family inBangalore,Mysore State (present dayKarnataka).[28][1][29] His mother was a homemaker,[e] and his father Ramoji Rao Gaekwad was a police constable.[1] His ancestors hailed fromMavadi Kadepathar,Pune district,Maharashtra.[31][32] He is the youngest of four siblings in a family consisting of two elder brothers (Satyanarayana Rao and Nageshwara Rao) and a sister (Aswath Balubhai).[33][28] After his father's retirement from work in 1956, the family moved to the suburb ofHanumantha Nagar inBangalore and built a house there.[28] He lost his mother at the age of nine.[34]
Rajinikanth had his primary education at the Gavipuram Government Kannada Model Primary School inBangalore.[35] As a child, he was "studious and mischievous" with a great interest incricket,football andbasketball. During this time, his brother enrolled him at theRamakrishna Math, a Hindu monastery set up by theRamakrishna Mission. In themath, he was taughtVedas, tradition and history, which eventually instilled a sense of spirituality in him.[36] In addition to spiritual lessons, he also began acting in plays at themath. His aspiration towards theatre grew at the math and was once given an opportunity to enact the role ofEkalavya's friend from the Hindu epicMahabharata. His performance in the play received praise from the Kannada poetD. R. Bendre.[28] After sixth grade, Rajinikanth was enrolled at theAcharya Pathasala Public School and studied there till completion of hispre-university course.[36] During his schooling at theAcharya Pathasala, he spent a lot of time acting in plays.
Upon completion of his school education, Rajinikanth performed several jobs including that of acoolie,[37] before getting a job in theBangalore Transport Service as abus conductor.[38][39] He continued to take part in plays after the Kannada playwright Topi Muniappa offered him a chance to act in one of his mythological plays. He decided to take up an acting course in the newly formedMadras Film Institute after coming across an advertisement.[40] Although his family was not fully supportive of his decision to join the institute,[40] his friend and co-worker Raj Bahadur motivated him to join the institute and financially supported him during this phase.[41][42] During his stay at the institute, he was noticed by the Tamil film directorK. Balachander.[43] Balachander provided Rajinikanth with his stage name to avoid confusion with fellow actorSivaji Ganesan, having taken it from a character's name in his earlier filmMajor Chandrakanth.[44][45] Thedirector advised him to learn to speakTamil, a recommendation that Rajinikanth quickly followed.[46] Although he can read the language, he cannot write in it.[47]
"Rajinikanth claims that I am his school. But I must admit that this wasn't the Rajinikanth I introduced. He has evolved on his own merits and strengths. I gave him an opportunity and unveiled him to the world. He went and conquered it."
Rajinikanth began his film career with the Tamil filmApoorva Raagangal (1975), directed byK. Balachander.[49] He was cast in a small role as the ex-husband of the female lead played bySrividya.[49][50][51] The film exploredrelationships between people with wide age differences and was deemed controversial upon release.[52] However, it received critical acclaim and won threeNational Film Awards including theAward for the Best Tamil Feature at the23rd National Film Awards in 1976.[53] A review fromThe Hindu noted that, "Newcomer Rajinikanth is dignified and impressive."[54] His next release wasPuttanna Kanagal's Kannadaanthology filmKatha Sangama (1976).[55] Rajinikanth appeared in the last segment of the film; he played the role as a village ruffian who rapes a blind woman in the absence of her husband.[56] Balachander cast him in a pivotal role inAnthuleni Katha (1976), theTelugu remake of his own Tamil filmAval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974).[56] InMoondru Mudichu—the first Tamil film to feature him in a prominent role—he played a character that "blithely row[s] away" when his friend drowns accidentally in the lake only to fulfill his desire to marry the former's girlfriend.[57] His style of flipping the cigarette in the film made him popular among the audience.[58] In his final release of the year,Baalu Jenu, he was cast as the main antagonist who troubles the female lead.[56] He played similar roles in Balachander'sAvargal (1977),[59] andBharathiraja's16 Vayadhinile (1977).[56][60] The same year, he made his first-ever appearance as a lead actor in the Telugu filmChilakamma Cheppindi (1977), which earned him his only nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu.[61][62]S. P. Muthuraman experimented Rajinikanth in a positive role inBhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri (1977).[63] The success of the film brought the duo together for 24 more films till the 1990s.[63] Rajinikanth played supporting and "villainous" roles in most of the films released during the year.[57] InGaayathri he was cast as a pornographer who secretly films his relationship with his wife without her knowledge and inGalate Samsara he played the role of a married man who develops an affair with acabaret dancer.[64] He had 15 of his films released during the year.[65]
In 1978, Rajinikanth had 20 releases across Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.[66][67] His first film of the year wasP. Madhavan'sShankar Salim Simon, in which he was among the three leads. Following that, he co-starred alongsideVishnuvardhan in theKannada filmKiladi Kittu. He played the second lead inAnnadammula Savaal, which starredKrishna; Rajinikanth reprised his role from theKannada original. He then played an important role in the supernatural thrillerAayiram Jenmangal. InMaathu Tappada Maga, he was the main antagonist.Bairavi, directed byM. Bhaskar, was the first Tamil film to cast Rajinikanth as a solo hero.[68][69] It was for this film that he earned the sobriquet "Superstar".[69]S. Thanu, one of the film's distributors, set up a 35 feet (11 m) high cut-out of Rajinikanth.[70] His next appearanceIlamai Oonjal Aadukirathu, a quadrangular love story written and directed byC. V. Sridhar, saw him play the role of a man who sacrifices his love for his friend, played byKamal Haasan. The film's success prompted Sridhar to remake the film in Telugu,Vayasu Pilichindi, which retained the original cast of the Tamil film.[71]
His next film,Vanakkatukuriya Kathaliye, had an introductory song to mark his entry, a trend that would soon catch on in with his later films.[69]Mullum Malarum, released during the same period, received critical acclaim, and earned him his firstFilmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil nomination.[72] The film marked the directional debut ofMahendran, with a screenplay adapted from a novel of the same name published inKalki.[69] It won theFilmfare Award for Best Tamil Film and a Special Prize (Best Actor) for Rajinikanth at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.[69] Following this, he made a foray intoMalayalam cinema withI. V. Sasi's fantasy filmAllauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum, which was based on a story from theArabian Nights. The same year, he acted inDharma Yuddam, in which he played a mentally-ill person avenging the death of his parents. He then co-starred withN. T. Rama Rao inTiger. Upon completion ofTiger, Rajinikanth had acted in 50 films over a period of four years, and in four languages. Some other popular films released during this period are the youthful entertainerNinaithale Inikkum, the Tamil–Kannada bilingualPriya, the Telugu filmAmma Evarikkaina Amma and the melodramaAarilirunthu Arubathu Varai.Priya, based on a detective novel bySujatha, had the distinction of being the first film of Rajinikanth to be shot mostly outside India, mainly in Southeast Asia.[69] Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.
Raijinikanth, who creditedHindi film starAmitabh Bachchan as his inspiration,[73] began playing Amitabh Bachchan's roles in Tamil remakes of his films.[74] This began withShankar Salim Simon (1978), a remake ofAmar Akbar Anthony (1977), followed byNaan Vazhavaippen (1979), a remake ofMajboor (1974).[75] He was subsequently cast in a series of roles modelled after Amitabh Bachchan in Tamil remakes of his films.[74] Rajinikanth starred in eleven Tamil remakes of Amitabh Bachchan films,[76] as well as a Telugu remake ofAmar Akbar Anthony,Ram Robert Rahim (1980), alongsideSridevi.[75] The most successful of these were remakes ofSalim–Javed films, such asBilla (1980),Thee (1981) andMr. Bharath (1986).[76]
During this phase of his career, Rajinikanth abruptly chose to quit acting, but was coaxed to return with the Tamil filmBilla (1980), a remake of theBollywood blockbusterDon (1978), written by Salim-Javed and starringAmitabh Bachchan.Billa had Rajinikanth playing dual roles and eventually became his first solo commercial success.[77][78] His pairing withSridevi continued inJohnny, where he was once again cast in a double role, earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. He also starred inMurattu Kaalai which was a commercial success.[63] The success ofBilla was a turning point in Rajinikanth's career, disproving detractors that claimed Rajinikanth was "finished" and which saw him accepted as a full-fledged hero.[77] The success ofBilla established Rajinikanth as one of the top stars of Tamil cinema.[79]
In 1981, he appeared inGarjanai which was shot simultaneously inKannada andMalayalam, making it his last film in those two languages up until 2023. In K. Balachander's first home production,Netrikan, he played dual roles as a womanising father and a responsible son.[63] His first full-length comedy wasThillu Mullu, directed byK. Balachander. He agreed to it solely due to the strong suggestion by his mentor that he should do non-commercial roles, to break the stereotyped action-hero mould by which he was getting famous at the time.Thillu Mullu earned him his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[80] 1981 also saw the release ofThee, a remake of blockbusterHindi filmDeewaar (1975), also originally written by Salim-Javed and starring Amitabh Bachchan; inThee, Rajinikanth reprised the role of Bachchan.[81] In 1982, he starred inPokkiri Raja,Moondru Mugam,Thanikattu Raja,Pudukavithai andEnkeyo Ketta Kural.Moondru Mugam which starred Rajinikanth playing three different roles for the first time, earned him his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[82]
By 1983, he was a popular actor acrossSouth Indian cinema, including Telugu and Kannada films.[83] In 1983, he starred in his firstBollywood film,Andhaa Kaanoon, alongsideHema Malini,Reena Roy andAmitabh Bachchan (in an extended cameo appearance).[84] The film opened to excellent response from the audience and emerged a blockbuster at the box office.[85] In 1984, he appeared inNaan Mahaan Alla, a remake ofSubhash Ghai's directionalVishwanath, the film proved to be a superhit.[86] That same year, he played a small role inAnbulla Rajinikanth and delivered three more successfulHindi films,Meri Adalat,Gangvaa andJohn Jani Janardhan (in which he played a triple role).[87] His performance inNallavanuku Nallavan earned him his first and onlyFilmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[88] In his 100th filmSri Raghavendra (1985), he played the Hindu saintRaghavendra Swami.[89]
In the second half of the 1980s, Rajinikanth acted in commercially successful films, such asNaan Sigappu Manithan (1985),Geraftaar (1985),Padikkathavan (1985),Mr. Bharath (1986),Dosti Dushmani (1986),Velaikaran (1987),Manithan (1987),Insaaf Kaun Karega (1987),Guru Sishyan (1988) andDharmathin Thalaivan (1988), withVelaikaran earning him his seventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[90][91][92] In 1988, he made his only American film appearance inBloodstone, directed byDwight Little, in which he played an English-speaking Indian taxi driver.[93][94] Rajinikanth finished the decade with films includingRajadhi Raja,Siva,Raja Chinna Roja andMappillai while also starring in a fewBollywood productions.Raja Chinna Roja was the first Indian film to featurelive action and animation.[95][96]
Rajinikanth began the new decade with a mega blockbuster inPanakkaran (1990), which was a remake ofAmitabh Bachchan's 1981 filmLaawaris.[97] The film earned him his eighth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. His next two Tamil films, thefantasy comedyAthisaya Piravi, (a remake ofChiranjeevi's 1988 filmYamudiki Mogudu) which also released in 1990 and the family dramaDharmadorai (1991), did above-average business at the box office. His stint with Bollywood continued since the past decade as he went on to star in more Hindi films.Hum released in 1991 saw him doing the second main lead withAmitabh Bachchan became an inspiration forBaashha.[98] In 1991, he worked withMani Ratnam inThalapathi, which was heavily inspired by theMahabharata.[99][100] in which he co-starred with actorMammooty; the film dealt with the friendship between two unknown characters based onKarna andDuryodhana, respectively,[99] and was set in a more contemporary milieu and was both critically acclaimed and successful upon release.[89] He received his ninth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for the film. He went on to appear in remakes of films from other languages, mostly from Hindi and Telugu.Annaamalai, which released in 1992, was yet another friendship-centric film and was loosely based on the 1987 Bollywood filmKhudgarz.[101] The film was the first to have theSuperstar graphic title card.[102] He received his tenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for the film.Mannan, directed byP. Vasu, a remake of Kannada actorRajkumar's 1986 blockbusterAnuraga Aralithu, also was released in 1992 and became a box office success. Rajinikanth wrote his first screenplay for the filmValli (1993), in which he also made a special appearance. He also starred in the filmYajaman, in which he played the role of Vaanavaraayan, a village chieftain. His romantic-comedyVeera (1994) was controversial for its climax but went on to become one of the highest-grossing films in 1994.[103] That year, he earned his eleventh nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for the action-dramaUzhaippali.
He joined hands withSuresh Krishna forBaashha (1995), which emerged as an industry record,[104] and is routinely touted by fans and critics alike as a major-hit, as the film elevated him from being just another very popular actor to nearly demigod status among the masses.[105] He made a cameo inPeddarayudu for his friendMohan Babu and also helped him in obtaining the remake rights. The same year, he acted in yet another gangster film,Aatank Hi Aatank withAamir Khan which was also his last Hindi film in a major role till date.[106] His filmMuthu, a remake ofMohanlal's blockbuster Malayalam filmThenmavin Kombathu, was another commercial success, directed byK. S. Ravikumar and produced by K. Balachander, and became the first Tamil film to be dubbed into Japanese, asMutu: Odoru Maharaja.[107] The film grossed a record US$1.6 million in Japan in 1998 and was responsible for creating a large Japanese fan-base for the actor.[108]Muthu's success inJapan led American news magazineNewsweek to comment in a 1999 article that Rajinikanth had "supplantedLeonardo DiCaprio as Japan's trendiest heartthrob".[109] During a visit to Japan in 2006, Indian Prime MinisterManmohan Singh acknowledged the success ofMuthu in the country during a speech, justifying the positiverelationship between the two nations.[110] He received his twelfth and thirteenth nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for his performances inBaashha andMuthu.
He also enteredBengali cinema throughBhagya Debata, which was released at the end of 1995. 1997'sArunachalam, another commercial success, earned him his fourteenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. Rajinikanth released his last film of the millennium withPadayappa (1999), which went on to become a blockbuster success, and earned him his fifteenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. It starredRamya Krishnan andSoundarya, the former critically acclaimed for her performance. It was also the last prominent role for veteran Tamil actorSivaji Ganesan.
After a brief pause, Rajinikanth starred inBaba in 2002, for which he had also written the screenplay.[111] Released with much fanfare and hype at the time, the film featured a story revolving around the reforming of a gangster, later revealed to be the reincarnation of the Hindu saintMahavatar Babaji, and fights against political corruption.[111] It fell short of market expectations and the high bids reportedly translated to heavy losses for the distributors. Rajinikanth himself repaid the losses incurred by the distributors.[112][113] The film was received with comments such as "the bloom was off the rose" and that "the gold does not glitter any more".[114]Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leaderS. Ramadoss condemned him for smoking and posing withbeedis in the film. He was criticised for spoiling the Tamil youth by glorifying smoking and drinking. PMK volunteers attacked the theatres which screened the film and usurped film rolls and burned them.[115]
Two years later, Rajinikanth signed up for P. Vasu'sChandramukhi (2005), a remake of theMalayalam filmManichitrathazhu. Upon release the film was highly successful at the box office, and in 2007 it set the record of being the longest running Tamil film.[116]Chandramukhi was also dubbed inTurkish and in German asDer Geisterjäger and released in the respective nations.[117] FollowingChandramukhi's release, it was reported thatAVM Productions was set to produce a film directed byShankar starring Rajinikanth – the largest collaboration yet for a Tamil film. The film was titledSivaji and was released in the summer of 2007, following two years of filming and production. It became the first Tamil film to be charted as one of the "top-ten best films" of the United Kingdom andSouth Africa box offices upon release.[118][119] Rajinikanth received a salary of₹260 million (equivalent to₹780 million or US$9.3 million in 2023), for his role in the film highest in his film career at that time.[120][121][122] He received his sixteenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for his performance in the film. During the production ofSivaji,Soundarya Rajinikanth announced her intention of producing a computer-generated imagery film starring an animated version of her father titledSultan: The Warrior. The film was set for release in 2008,[123][124] however, it entereddevelopment hell, and its development status would become unknown over the next few years.[125]
He worked with P. Vasu again forKuselan, a remake of the Malayalam filmKadha Parayumbol, which was made simultaneously inTelugu asKathanayakudu, in which Rajinikanth played an extended cameo role as Ashok Kumar, a film star in the Indian cinema, and as a best friend to the film's protagonist. According to Rajinikanth, the film somewhat narrated his early life.[126] The film, however, performed poorly at box offices and led to many distributors incurring major losses.[127] Rajinikanth also stated that he would work withPyramid Saimira again to compensate forKuselan.[128][129]
"Is there anything left to be said about a man who, at 61, still manages to star in one of the most successful films of the year, not just in the south, but across India? Superstar Rajni once again proved that he is the actor with the Midas touch with the sci-fi flick Endhiran, where he played an ambitious scientist, a naive robot and an evil android bent on destroying the world [...] He did it with such aplomb that he's been the talk of the town for months. He might do one film in two years, but when he does, he pulls out all the stops."
Rajinikanth worked again with Shankar for the science fiction filmEnthiran.[131] The film was released worldwide in 2010 as the most expensive Indian film ever made, ultimately emerging anAll Time Blockbuster and the second highest-grossing film in India of its time.[132][133] Rajinikanth was paid a remuneration of₹450 million (equivalent to₹1.0 billion or US$12 million in 2023) for the film.[134] He received his seventeenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for his performance in the film. The film's success lead to theIndian Institute of Management Ahmedabad to use the film as a case study to analyse the business of cinema and its success story in a post-graduate elective management course calledContemporary Film Industry: A Business Perspective. The course would also studyMuthu.[135]
In January 2011, Rajinikanth was slated to appear inRana, a period film to be produced bySoundarya Rajinikanth and directed byK. S. Ravikumar, who would work with the actor for a third time.[82] During theprincipal photography of the film on 29 April 2011, he suffered a mildfoodborne illness on the sets, which led to vomiting, dehydration, and exhaustion.[136] He was treated at St. Isabel's Hospital for a day before being discharged.[137] Five days later, he was rushed to the same hospital again after suffering from breathlessness and fever.[138] He was diagnosed withbronchitis and was kept at the hospital for a week, while also spending a few days in anintensive care unit.[139] Several conflicting reports of discharge dates arose, as well as claims of Rajinikanth's health deteriorating.[140] Two days after his last discharge, Rajinikanth was admitted to theSri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute on 16 May 2011 for recurring respiratory and gastrointestinal problems.[141] The hospital maintained that Rajinikanth was in stable condition and showed positive response to treatment.[140] It was widely reported that he required akidney transplantation, which was later denied byDhanush.[142]
On 21 May 2011,Aishwarya Rajinikanth released a photo of her and Rajinikanth in his hospital ward, both posing with athumbs-up, responding to fans' negative reaction to news reports.[143] The hospital restricted unauthorised visitors.[144] Rajinikanth's brother, Sathyanarayana Rao Gaekwad, reported that the cause of the sudden illness was due to stress from rapid weight-loss and changes in diet, as well aswithdrawal of alcohol consumption andsmoking cessation.[145] After addressing fans in a 4-minutedigitally recordedvoice message to the media, Rajinikanth, under the advice of Amitabh Bachchan, travelled fromChennai toSingapore with his family on 21 May 2011, where he was to undergo further treatment fornephropathy atMount Elizabeth Hospital.[146][147] After spending over two weeks at the hospital, he was finally discharged on 15 June 2011 and continued to recuperate in Singapore, before returning to Chennai on 13 July 2011.[148][149] Despite several failed attempts to restartRana upon his return, Rajinikanth reprised hisEnthiran character, Chitti, in the Bollywood science-fiction filmRa.One (2011) in a guest appearance alongsideShah Rukh Khan andKareena Kapoor.[150] In November 2011, it was decided thatRana would be shelved in favour of a new project, titledKochadaiiyaan.[151] The film became a huge disaster at the box office.[152] Themotion capture film, which is the first of its type in India, was released in 2014 to positive reviews.[153]Kochadaiiyaan, and the 3D release ofSivaji in 2012,[154] made Rajinikanth the first Indian actor to have appeared in four different forms of world cinema:black-and-white,colour,3D andmotion capture.[155] Following the completion ofKochadaiiyaan, Rajinikanth began work in Ravikumar's next directorial venture, titledLingaa.[156][157] The film was released on 12 December 2014, coinciding with his birthday,[158] and received mixed reviews from critics.[159]
After a two-year absence from big screen, Rajinikanth's next film was directorPa. Ranjith's crime dramaKabali, produced byS. Thanu. The film was released in July 2016.[160] The film became thehighest grossing Tamil film of the year grossing over₹300crore (equivalent to₹353 crore or US$42 million in 2023) and became thefifth highest-grossing Tamil film of all time before being surpassed by his another film2.0.[n 1] Also, at theAnanda Vikatan Cinema Awards, the film was nominated at five categories winning all of them,[169] and also won five awards, at theEdison Awards, and two nominations at the6th South Indian International Movie Awards.[170] He also received his eighteenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for his performance in the film.
In August 2016, it was announced that Rajinikanth and director Ranjith would work together again for a film with Dhanush as producer, titledKaala, in which Rajinikanth plays aDharavi-dwelling gangster who fights against corporate takeover of the slum.[171] The film was officially released on 7 June 2018 and received positive reviews from critics.[172] In 2018 he also appeared inS. Shankar's2.0 reprising the roles of Dr. Vaseegaran and Chitti, alongsideAkshay Kumar andAmy Jackson.[20] The film was released on 29 November 2018 and was commercially successful at the box office. The film earned over₹117.34 crore (US$14 million) worldwide on its first day, which was the second-highest ever for an Indian film. The film crossed₹520 crore (equivalent to₹696 crore or US$82 million in 2023) in its opening weekend to be the highest-grossing film worldwide for that week. The film also grossed over₹655.81 crore (US$78 million)–₹800crore (US$95 million) at the box office became thehighest-grossing Tamil film of the year andsecond highest grossing Tamil film of all time.[173]2.0 is thefourth highest-grossing film in India and is theseventh highest-grossing Indian film worldwide.[174][175] In 2019, Rajinikanth starred inKarthik Subbaraj'sPetta, in which his performance received praise for his return to his vintage stereotypical style of acting and grossed over₹250 crore (US$30 million), becoming thesecond highest-grossing Tamil film of 2019.[176] The combined gross earnings ofKaala,2.0 andPetta by the end of January 2019 was determined to be over₹1000 crore according to trade analysts.[177] Rajinikanth then worked withAR Murugadoss in the filmDarbar, alongsideNayanthara which released in 2020. He played the role of a police officer after 27 years since his last film as a police officer was theTamil filmPandian. In spite of the huge expectations, the film received mixed to negative reviews and flopped at the box office.[178][179] His 168th film was with directorSiva, titledAnnaatthe co-starringNayanthara andKeerthy Suresh.[180] The film was released on 4 November 2021.[181] The film became a commercial success at the box office by grossing around₹240crore (equivalent to₹269 crore or US$32 million in 2023) beating the collections made by other Tamil films such asMaster andMaanaadu.[182][183][184]
After a two-year absence from big screen, his 169th film isJailer, which was directed byNelson Dilipkumar. He played a retired jailer in the film and it was released on 10 August 2023.[185][186][187] The film received predominantly positive reviews upon its release and achieved tremendous commercial success, grossing over ₹600 crores worldwide.[188] In 2024, he appeared inT. J. Gnanavel'saction drama filmVettaiyan and did a guest appearance in his daughter's (Aishwarya Rajinikanth)sports drama filmLal Salaam.[189][190] While the latter sank without a trace,Vettaiyan opened to positive critical reception, but underperformed commercially.[191] In 2025, he appeared inLokesh Kanagaraj's action thrillerCoolie.[192] He is currently working onJailer 2 directed byNelson Dilipkumar.[193]
It was speculated that Rajinikanth would enter politics in 1995. He decided against it and declared that if he entered politics now, it would result in a lot of confusion and that he would not be able to serve the people and fulfil their expectations. However, he added that if Chief MinisterJ. Jayalalithaa's party returns to power in the1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, "even God cannot save the people of the State".[194] Rajinikanth went on to wholeheartedly support theDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) andTamil Maanila Congress alliance and asked the people of Tamil Nadu and his fans to vote for that alliance. This alliance had a complete victory in the elections. He also supported the same alliance in the1996 and1998 Indian general elections.[195]
Later in 2004, Rajinikanth said he would personally vote for theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but would not extend his support to any front during theupcoming Indian general election.[196] The party, however, failed to win any seats inTamil Nadu in theLok Sabha.[197]
Rajinikanth canceled his visit to Sri Lanka in March 2017 at the urging of Tamil Nadu politicians. Leaders of the BJP criticized this choice.[198] In June 2017, BJP leaderSubramanian Swamy alleged that Rajinikanth was illiterate and unfit for politics. He also accused Rajinikanth of financial fraud, claiming that he has strong proof of financial irregularities by Rajinikanth that will bring down Rajinikanth's political aspirations.[199][200]
However several political analysts state Rajinikanth has missed his chance and unlike 1996 when he was at his peak it will be very difficult for him to make a significant impact in 2019.[201][202][203]
Rajinikanth announced entry into politics on 31 December 2017 and confirmed his intention to contest in the 2021Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections in all 234 constituencies. He stated that his party would resign if it was unable to fulfill its electoral promises within three years of coming into power.[204] Rajinikanth dissolved his organisation Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) on 12 July 2021 and also said that he has no plans to enter politics in the future.[205]
Rajinikanth is widely regarded as one of the most popular actors in the history ofIndian cinema. His popularity has been attributed to his distinctively delivered dialogue and eccentricities showcased in his movies, alongside his political pronouncements and charitable work.[206] Many also cite reasons for Rajinikanth's popularity as coming from his larger-than-life super-hero appearance in many films, supported by gravity-defying stunts and charismatic expressions, all while attempting to maintain modesty in real-life.[207] Almost every film of Rajinikanth has punchlines delivered by him in a distinctive style, and these punchlines often have a message or even warn the film's antagonists.[208][209]
Rajinikanth is one of the highest-grossing actors in Tamil cinema history. After opening his first official Twitter account in 2014, Rajinikanth received over 210,000 followers within 24 hours, which according toThe Economic Times was deemed by social media research firms as the fastest rate of followers for any Indian celebrity, as well as among the top-10 in the world.[210] In 2015, a film about his fandom,For the Love of a Man, premiered at the71st Venice International Film Festival.[211]
While he was working as a bus conductor inBangalore, Rajinikanth met a medical student named Nirmala and started a relationship. After seeing him perform in a stage play, she encouraged him to pursue an acting career and sent an application to theAdyar Film Institute on his behalf and unbeknownst to him. Although he took up the offer and proceeded with his acting career, Rajinikanth has since lost contact with her.[212]
Rajinikanth marriedLatha Rangachari, a student ofEthiraj College for Women who interviewed him for her college magazine.[213][214] The marriage took place on 26 February 1981, inTirupati,Andhra Pradesh.[215] The couple has two daughters:Aishwarya andSoundarya. He has four grandchildren through his daughters.[216][217]
Rajinikanth is a practicingHindu and is a strong believer ofspirituality.[218] He is also a practitioner ofyoga andmeditation. Rajinikanth has religiously visited major Hindu temples prior to the release of each of his films; for instance he visited theTirumala Venkateswara Temple before the release ofSivaji in 2007 and visitedSathya Sai Baba atPrasanthi Nilayam inAndhra Pradesh before the release ofKuselan the following year.[219] He also occasionally leaves for pilgrimage to theHimalayas.[220]
He has often referred toRamakrishna Paramahamsa,[221]Swami Satchidananda,Ragavendra Swami,[222]Mahavatar Babaji,[223] andRamana Maharshi[221] as his favourite spiritual leaders.
According toNaman Ramachandran, the author ofRajinikanth: The Definitive Biography, most of Rajinikanth's philanthropic activities went unpublicised because he chose to keep them undisclosed. In the 1980s, when superstitious beliefs inTamil Nadu created a stigma towards eye donation, Rajinikanth took the case of campaigning in support ofcorneal transplantation via television and public speeches.[224] In 2011, Rajinikanth announced his support for theanti-corruption movement led byAnna Hazare and offered his commercial wedding venue, the Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam, inChennai free of cost for theIndia Against Corruption members to hold their fast.[225][226] He also provided lodging in the venue for sanitary workers hired to clean up after the2015 South India floods.[227] Rajinikanth's fan associations regularly organise blood donation and eye donation camps and distribute food during his birthday.[228]
Rajinikanth declared₹6.11 million (equivalent to₹22 million or US$270,000 in 2023),₹17 million (equivalent to₹60 million or US$710,000 in 2023) and₹3.39 million (equivalent to₹12 million or US$140,000 in 2023) as earnings for the years 2002–2003, 2003–2004 and 2004–2005, respectively. However, theIncome Tax Department observed that he had claimed a considerable sum of professional expenses and thus carried out a survey in 2005 at his residence at Poes Garden. During the survey, the IT-Department found out that he had accounted for many expenses as his professional costs and it was also discovered that not even one-tenth of the residential property was allocated to professional purposes.[229] Moreover, when Rajinikanth was questioned by the I-T department if he's in the money lending business, he initially denied it. Later, though, he admitted to the IT-Department that he was indeed amoney lender, and that he had loaned money as a source of profit at an interest rate of 18 percent. Later, for all three years in dispute, Rajinikanth was forced to submit revised reports, confessing he had earned more than what was reported in the initial report on 14 February 2005.[230] But the I-T department penalized him₹6.6 million (equivalent to₹7.8 million or US$92,000 in 2023), since he filed revised returns only after they surveyed him.[231][232]
This was challenged by Rajinikanth and his lawyers, and in January 2020 the I-T department wrote off the fine, due to its recent decision to withdraw from appeals in cases below₹10 million (equivalent to₹12 million or US$140,000 in 2023).[233] The news that Rajinikanth told the Income Tax department that he was lending money at an 18 per cent interest rate has earned outrage and criticism for his high interest rate loans, which is a big problem in Tamil Nadu.[231]
In 2002, Rajinikanth undertook a day-long fast to protest theGovernment of Karnataka'sdecision to not release Kaveri River water into Tamil Nadu, and announced that he would contribute₹10 million (US$120,000) toward a plan to interlink Indian rivers.[234] He met with Indian Prime MinisterAtal Bihari Vajpayee and many experts to canvass support for the project.[235] His hunger strike was independent of theNadigar Sangam, who organised their own solidarity protest for the same cause. Film directorBharathi Raja lashed out against Rajinikanth, alleging that he is dividing the film industry and saying that he was a "traitor who had a tacit understanding with the Karnataka government".[236]
In 2008, Rajinikanth took part in a hunger strike organised by the Nadigar Sangam against Karnataka's stance on theHogenakkal Falls water dispute, during which he gave a speech against politicians inKarnataka.[237] It led to the state announcing a ban on him and his filmKuselan (2008). The ban was lifted after Rajinikanth appeared onTV9 Kannada and issued an apology for his speech. He later thanked theGovernment of Karnataka for lifting the ban and allowing the film's release in the state. The apology and subsequent gratitude towards Karnataka led to strong reactions from Nadigar Sangam membersR. Sarathkumar,Sathyaraj andRadha Ravi, who called the apology a disgrace to Tamils and opined that his speech never provoked the sentiments of theKannada people.[238] Rajinikanth's support toward fellow actorAjith Kumar, who in 2010 condemned the forceful inclusion of Tamil cinema personae in political affairs, broke into a controversy.[239]
In 2020, Rajinikanth quoted a 2017 article fromOutlook, which reported thatDravidar Kazhagam founderPeriyar E. V. Ramasamy garlanded the idols ofHindu deitiesRama andSita with footwear at an atheist rally in 1971.[240][241] His remarks were criticized by supporters of Periyar.[242][241] In response to the backlash, Rajinikanth stated, "I did not speak on something that didn't happen. I've only spoken on what was reported. It was reported inOutlook also. Sorry, I will not apologise."[243][244] A report on Thoothukudi police firing criticized Rajnikanth's comment on the incident that the whole anti-Sterlite protest was engineered by "anti-social" elements.[245]
Rajinikanth appeared in over 171 films,[f] predominantly inTamil cinema.[246] He began his film career by playing antagonistic and supporting roles before graduating to a lead actor.[247] He has also worked in other Indian film industries such asHindi,Telugu,Kannada,Malayalam andBangla. Alongside Indian films, he has also appeared inan English film.
Rajinikanth has received numerous awards for many of his films, mostly in Tamil. He received his first and onlyFilmfare Award forBest Tamil Actor in 1984 forNallavanuku Nallavan.[88] Later he received Filmfare Award nominations for his performances inSivaji (2007)[248] andEnthiran (2010). As of 2014, Rajinikanth has received sixTamil Nadu State Film Awards for his performances in various films.[249] He also received numerous awards fromCinema Express and Filmfans' Association for his on-screen performances and off-screen contributions in writing and producing.[249][250]
Rajinikanth received theKalaimamani award in 1984 and the M. G. R. Award in 1989, both from theGovernment of Tamil Nadu. In 1995, theSouth Indian Film Artistes' Association presented him with the Kalaichelvam Award. He was honoured with thePadma Bhushan (2000) and thePadma Vibhushan (2016) by theGovernment of India.[10][11] He was selected as the Indian Entertainer of the Year for 2007 byNDTV, competing against the likes ofShahrukh Khan.[251] The Government of Maharashtra honoured him with the Raj Kapoor Award the same year. He received theChevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Indian Cinema at the4th Vijay Awards.[252] Rajinikanth was also named one of the most influential persons in South Asia byAsiaweek.[25][26]
He was named byForbes India as the most influential Indian of the year 2010.[27] In 2011, he was awarded the Entertainer of the Decade Award byNDTV for the year 2010 by the then Indian Minister for Home AffairsP. Chidambaram.[253] In December 2013, he was honoured by NDTV as one among the "25 Greatest Global Living Legends".[254] In 2014, he was presented with theIndian Film Personality of the Year Award at the45th IFFI.[255][256] Rajinikanth receivedDadasaheb Phalke Award at the 67th National Film Awards presentation ceremony, atVigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Monday, 25 October 2021.
In 2025, he will be honoured for completing 50 years of his cinematic journey at the56th International Film Festival of India. He will be formally felicitated at the closing ceremony of the festival on 28 November.[257]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Kabali, which starred blockbuster hero Rajinikanth, went on to gross nearly 5 billion rupees (US$77 million) worldwide, making it the 6th highest grossing Indian film in history at the time.
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