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From bus conductor to a superstar; A look at Rajinikanth's incredible 5-decade long journey in cinema
The first-ever shot that he gave for his debut film was opening a gate which became his signature style.
"This boy has fire in his eyes. He will be a phenomenon someday," Balachander, who gave Shivaji Rao Gaekwad a break in the industry as Rajinikanth, once said. 5-decades later, these words stand prophetic. In his long five-decade journey in Indian Cinema, Rajinikanth has proved to be one true superstar having a larger-than-life personality. It is his humility, charisma, and sense of being that made him what he is today.
He began his career with the Tamil film Apoorva Raagangal (1975), directed by K. Balachander. The first-ever shot that he gave for his debut film was opening a gate which became his signature style. "Little did we know then that he had just opened the gates into the hearts of the Tamil people," said director SP Muthuraman while speaking to Forbes, a few years ago. Since then, there has been no stopping for the actor.
However, before stepping into the acting world, Rajinikanth who was born in a Marathi family in Bangalore, took a job as a bus conductor in the Bangalore Transport Service (BTS). He has had his share of struggles but nothing stopped him from living his dream.
It was his friend and co-worker Raj Bahadur who motivated him to join the institute and supported him financially during this phase. During his stay at the institute, he was noticed by the Tamil film director K. Balachander and his journey to success kickstarted right from there.
His hard work, dedication, and honesty towards his work only helped him to gain success like no other. His unparalleled success is still the talk of the town and remains an inspiration for millions.
During the shooting of Sivaji The Boss (2007), which was made on a lavish budget, Rajinikanth was given a high-end vanity van. However, he refused to use it and instead, headed straight to the make-up room in the studio, revealed S. P. Muthuraman in an interview with Forbes India. The simplicity in him has always left us amazed.
The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan (2000) and the Padma Vibhushan (2016). At the 67th National Film Awards, he was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
His uniquely styled dialogues, signature style, and everything about him has always been the highlight of his films. His fans, even today, celebrate the release of his films no less like a festival.
