Rajinikanth
Credit: Special Arrangement
Credit: Special Arrangement
Born as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, Rajinikanth was given his name after the great Maratha king, Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Before venturing into showbiz, Rajinikanth worked various odd jobs, including as a coolie, carpenter and bus conductor.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Although Rajinikanth is celebrated as the superstar of Tamil cinema, he grew up speaking Marathi and Kannada. He learned Tamil while studying at the Madras Film Institute.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Despite his Marathi roots, Rajinikanth has never acted in a Marathi film.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Rajinikanth is the first Indian actor to work on diverse filmmaking technologies, he has appeared in films shot in black and white, colour, 3D and motion capture.
Credit: Special Arrangement
In his illustrious career of over 170 films, he's never been killed on screen. Filmmakers fear the risk of inciting a massive uproar among his fans and consciously avoids casting Rajnikanth in roles where his character dies.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Although Rajinikanth is celebrated for his iconic hero roles, his career actually began with anti-hero characters.
Rajinikanth is the first Indian actor to work on diverse filmmaking technologies. He has appeared in films shot in black and white, colour, 3D and motion capture.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Rajinikanth became the first actor in South India to perform a fight sequence on a moving train in Murattu Kaalai without the use of body doubles.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Rajinikanth made his Bollywood debut with Andhaa Kanoon in 1983, a film that became a massive hit and ran for nearly 50 weeks in theaters, setting a record in itself.