In tamilnadu , the word 'Super star' means only one person and he is none then the actor Rajinikanth. He has struggled a lot to reach this position.

Some important events in this life are below:

Rajini was born on  December 12, 1950. His original name is Shivaji rao. Veteran director balachander changed his name to rajinkanth. His father's name is Ranojirao

Gaekwad and mother's name is Rambhai. People who came from the family of marati king Sivaji  have the family name 'Gaekward'. Rajini's ancestors worked as

soldiers for the king Sivaji. Both rajini's father and mother were born in tamilnadu. Father in a village near Krishnagiri and Mother in a village near coimbatore.

As his father got employment in Karnataka police they shifted to Bangalore.

Rajini is the third son for their parents.He was born on December 12,1950 ( Time : 11.45 pm ). Even though he is born and brought up in bangalore his mother tongue

is marathi.At the age of five, he was put in a school named Premier Model School in Pasavangudi.At the age of 9, he lost his mother. Actually when he saw his

mother's body garnished with flowers he doesn't understand that his mother died  and he was thinking that she was sleeping.Next day only he was crying when he

could not see her.

Rajini used to be little  arrogant in his childhood days.He used to drink with his friends and tease girls. His father wanted him to be a great police officer but he is not

interested  in studies and enjoying life with his friends. Once rajini  & his friends were caught by the police while teasing a girl. They released him later because of the

good services done by his father  in the police department.His brother sathyanarayana beat rajini severely for this.

Rajini was very brave and courageous from his childhood itself. His friends were saying there was a saint named 'Ghost Man' in the forest near his school. Rajini did not

believe this. Then his friends challenged him to go alone to the forest and see that saint. Rajini took the challenge and went to the forest.It was very deep and he was walking

for long time and he started  becoming afraid as darkness came and no one there. Suddenly he heard a voice "Come on Boy". When he turned, he saw a man above 60 years

with lot of hair falling from his head almost to his hip.He told some mantra to him and  invited him to come back again tomorrow. Rajini told this to his friends and they were

very surprised and also praised him for this bravery act. In the following days rajini went to the forest and had chat with that saint. He taught some yoga postures and

mantras to rajini and wished him to have a great future.

Rajini's father did not want to waste rajini's career. So he got rajini admitted in a college for P.U.C. But rajini was not interested in studies and even hated studying. He came

to chennai with the money his father gave for paying school fees.He strugged a lot in chennai without getting a proper job and didn't had food for many days. He even worked

as a coolie for lifting rice bundles.At one stage he could not survive. So he returned to bangalore in train without a ticket by sleeping under the seat.

Rajini had a passion to watch movies at that time itself. One day he wanted to see an MGR film but he didn't have money . So he stole a silver tumbler from his house

and got money by keeping that in a marvadi shop.Like this his life was going.One fine day, through a family friend he got job in Karnataka Transport corporation as a

Bus conductor. His style of giving tickets were very popular among the girls at that time.

Rajini used to put and act in lot of dramas . His popular roles are marati king sivaji and Dhuriyodhana.How rajini got interested in acting in plays  is because of the following

incident.One day rajini was walking in the street and suddenly he heard a screaming voice "Please don't kill me. Leave me". The voice came near the wall of a house. He ran

immediately and saw a person with knife was trying to kill a young lady.He pushed the shirt of the person and tried to attack him. Suddenly a man with a big note book in his

hand came there and asked "What is the confustion"?. Then only rajini came to know that they were practicing for a drama. After this incident only rajini was attracted to dramas.

While acting in dramas he got the desire to act in films. He did a course on acting in a college in chennai for 2 years. One day he saw an ad from the Film Institute inviting

people for a 3 month training programmein acting, direction, dance , fight etc . Rajini attended  that interview and was selected for training. He was very happy . While on

one corner of his mind asked "What i am going to do after this training?How i will get chance in film", the other corner of his mind gave confidence that he will have a good

career in cinema.Just a couple days before the end of his course in film institute, he heard that director balachander is going to come there and answer the student's questions.

Rajini was very happy as he was a great fan of balachander.Balachander came and rajini asked "What do you expect from an actor other than acting?". He replied "He should

not act outside cinema". Then he shake his hands with rajini and asked him what is his name and left. Later his teacher said balachander wants to see you. But rajini did not

get any information from balachander but a letter from his brother asking him to come to bangalore immediately.So he started to bangalore.

In the train he met a old man and he said that his son finished B.Sc and  an officer told him that if he gives Rs.10,000 he will get a conductor job for his son.Rajini realised the

importance of the conductor job. He felt happy that he didn't resign that job. On the way to home, he travelled in the same bus in which worked as a conductor and his conductor

friend there told rajini that last week they dismissed 12 conductors and rajini was one among them as he took leave for more than 2 years. Rajini was worried for the first time in

his life. Everybody made fun of his wish for acting. Rajini decided that he will return to bangalore again only after becoming an actor and started to chennai that night itself.

Days were running very fast and no improvement in rajini's life. Suddenly one day rajini's friend came running and said "Balachander wants to see you and he had

sent the car for you". Rajini was very excited, dressed up quickly and got into the car. The car stopped in a building with the board showing 'Kalakendra'. Rajini was

waiting in the reception to meet balachander. Then he was called by balachander. At that time rajini didn't know much tamil as well as english. So he was wondering in

which language to speak. Balachander was asking general questions about rajini and then told him "I haven't seen your acting. Show me your acting". Rajini said he

doesn't know tamil. Balachander said "Its ok.Act in kannada". Rajini acted a scene from the play "Thuklak" written by Girish Karnaud. Balachander was very impressed.

He said "I am now directing  a movie named 'Apoorva Raagangal'. There is a small but powerful role in that. I am planning to put you for that. Also i am planning to put

you in the Telugu version of my movie "Aval oru Thodarkathai in actor Jai Ganesh's role and i am going to direct a movie "Moonru Mudichu" in future and you are going

to play a negative role in that. So if you learn tamil well, i can take you to greater heights". On hearing his rajini was flying in air with happiness. Finally balachander

said "Ok. Give your address and contact no and go. I will intimate you at the time of shooting". This is how the superstar's film career began.

Rajini told this to his friends and they enjoyed by having dinner in  a hotel. Then rajini started learning tamil by reading newspapers, magazines etc. He also learned the

pronounciations of words. On a monday he got call for the shooting. Rajini's favourite day was Thursday. He was thinking that if shooting will begin on thursday it will be

good. But he can't say this . So he went for the shooting. But they didn't shoot his scenes that day and the following 2 days. As per his wish the shooting started on Thursday.

His first dialogue was " Is this Bairavi's house?Iam her husband". Even though he practiced this 1000 times at home, he could not hide his fear. He was afraid of only

balachander. He finished the shooting and went for dubbing.

There he saw kamal and srividhya doing the dubbing and the introduction scene of rajini came. He couldn't believe that it was him and he was so happy on seeing his image on

screen. Then he finished dubbing and balachander told him the date of release for the movie and he said "I don't want your name as Shivaji Rao as already actor Shivaji is there

and Rao doesn't suit tamil films." Rajini requested balachander to choose a name for him. Then balachander said " In my drama 'Major Chandrakant' , chandrakant had two

sons namely Srikanth and Rajinikanth. As there is already an actor named srikanth i will keep you the name Rajinikanth. So this is how Rajinikanth was born.

Even after acting in 'Apporva Raagangal' rajini did not get many changes but acted as in negative roles in balachander's 'Moonru Mudichu' and 'Avargal'. Avargal established

rajini as a good actor. Rajini acted in many films during 70's including telugu and kannada but the film that created a turning point was the film 'Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri'

directed by S.P.Muthuraman. In this film for the first time rajini acted in a postive role and that movie ran for more than 100 days.The next hit film he acted was '16 Vayadhinile'

directed by Bharathiraja. We cannot forget the 'Paratai' character till today. Rajini's first colour film was 'Ayiram Jenmangal'.

Rajini was acting day and night for a marathon 20 films in the year 1978 ( Nowadays he is acting a film in every 2 or 3 three years ).He was the most busy actor in India at

that time. Another important film in his career was 'Bhairavi'. This is the first film in which rajini acted as a full hero.And also in this film only started the title 'Super star' .

The man who kept this name was 'Kalaipuli' S. Dhanu. He was a distributor at that time .Even though rajini requested not to use the title as great actors like Shivaji and MGR

acted in that period, that title remained .

The greatest film that rajini and kamal acted together was 'Ilamai Oonjaladukiradu' directed by Sridhar. Both did excellent acting in this film. Another film which proved rajini's

acting was 'Mullum Malarum' directed by Mahendran.Director balachander was moved by rajini's acting in this film and he immediately write a letter to him praising his acting

which rajini is keeping as a treasure even now.

After becoming super star the first film rajini acted in Balachander's direction was 'Thappu Thalangal'. Balachander was very hesitant in commanding rajini at that time even

though he introduced rajini. But rajini told balachander "Sir this life is because of you. You have the right to scold and even beat me".

Rajini was so busy at that time that his dates were full for next 2 years but producers didn't stop approaching him even after he raised his salary to reduce the producers

coming to his house. Rajini's body as well as mind was also badly affected because of his non stop work in day and nights.He was suffering with nervous problems and

was behaving sometimes like a mentally affected person shouting without reason, beating etc.One day on the film shooting 'Ninathale Inikkum' he was refusing to do

dubbing and this was informed to balachander. He came to rajini and asked him why.Rajini shouted  it is not humanity to get work from an unhealthy person. Balachander

cancelled the dubbing and admitted him in  a private hospital for few days. Again the same thing happened in another film shooting. Many people were teasing rajini and

called him as mental.Then balachander admitted rajini in Vijaya Nursing Home under the care of the famous Dr.Cheriyan. He got cured completely after 15 days. Then

rajini again started his acting and finished the already committed films.The best blockbuster in his early days was the film 'Billa' in which rajini acted in dual role.

Rajini was acting in the film 'Thillu Mullu'. This film proved rajini can do comedy also. Also another significant thing is here only he met latha for the first time. Latha was

studying in college and came to take interview of Rajini. Rajini was impressed by latha's intelligence ( Love at first sight ). When latha asked rajini "When is your marriage?".

He immediately replied " When i see a good girl like you".  Then rajini told his wish to latha and her family and his family. He got approval from both of them.But he kept

it secret for 7 months. He married latha in Tirupati in 1981. He didn't invite media and film friends for the marriage .He didn't even printed a wedding card. Later he arranged

wedding reception in chennai two weeks later.

Rajini is a simple man eventhough he is the superstar of tamil cinema. He speaks what he thinks. He has two daughters Soundarya and Aishwarya. Aishwarya married actor

dhanush and is having a kid while soundarya is currently the Rajini cartoon film ' Sultan the warrior'.

This is how rajini's career reached  has started, growing,  grown and still ....... I don't wish to write about rajini's films , his acting, his style , his comedey etc because

it needs another 100 pages.

• Written by Meean.
• In category Celebrities.
• 14 years ago.

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