Rajinikanth turns 72: 9 must-know facts about Thalaivar

Superstar Rajinikanth is inarguably one of the most revered and celebrated names in Indian cinema. The actor par excellence enjoys an enviable fan following across the globe due to his unique reel mannerisms, energetic screen presence, 'massy' dialogue delivery and humble nature. The legend, who began his career in 1975, remains Kollywood's undisputed 'Thalaivar' despite the emergence of younger stars. On superstar Rajinikanth's 72nd birthday, we list nine lesser-known facts about him.

Rajinikanth’s real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad. He was named after Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji. Credit: Special Arrangement

Rajinikanth grew up learning Marathi and Kannada. He learnt Tamil while pursuing acting course from Madras Film Institute. Credit: Special Arrangement

Before stepping into acting, Rajinikanth worked as a coolie, carpenter and bus conductor. Credit: Special Arrangement

With a career spanning 48 years, Rajinikanth has been part of as many as 169 movies. Credit: Special Arrangement

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is Rajini's inspiration and he has acted in almost a dozen Tamil remakes of Big B’s films. Credit: Special Arrangement

While Rajini is hailed for his heroism, he started his career with anti-hero roles. Credit: Special Arrangement

Rajini is the only Indian actor to have featured in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus. He was featured in a lesson titled 'From Bus Conductor to Superstar'. Credit: Special Arrangement

Rajinikanth is the first Indian actor to have worked in films using different camera technologies like black and white, colour, 3D and motion capture. Credit: Special Arrangement

Rajinikanth's film 'Enthiran' is the only Tamil film that made it into IMDb's Top 50 films from around the world list in 2010. Credit: Special Arrangement