From the India Today archives (1988)

India Today

13 hours ago

(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated July 31, 1988)He is not handsome by conventional standards. He is short, dark and can easily be ignored in a crowd. But for all that, he is the undisputed superstar of the South, a man whose name spells box-office magic, the Midas of the movies.For eight long years, Rajinikanth has occupied the number one slot in south Indian films. Now, 115 films and almost as many hits later, he has reached a stage where he can choose his roles and, more significantly, restrict himself to four Tamil films a year. The remaining time is spent in Bombay acting in Hindi films.advertisementOnly the late M.G. Ramachandran could compete with that phenomenal box-office record. But Rajinikanth is also the hero from the South—which has traditionally produced leading ladies for the Hindi screen—who has survived in the competitive world of Bombay films.
Next month, Rajinikanth's first English movie, Bloodstone, in which he plays a taxi-driver, will hit the screen in 1,500 theatres all over the US. Shot mainly in Bangalore, the action packed entertainer has been co-produced by Amritraj Productions and the NRI Metro Film Corporation, owned by Dr Murali Manohar, a film distributor.The film is about an American couple on a visit to India who get involved with a gang of smugglers. Rajinikanth, a local taxi-driver, comes to their aid. Made at a cost of one million dollars (Rs 1.30 crore) the film will be distributed worldwide by Columbia Pictures.The film fits in perfectly with the superstar's designs for the future. "I have reached a dead-end as far as Tamil films are concerned. Through Hindi movies, I have got a national image. What I want today is worldwide recognition," says Rajinikanth. In any event, by 1990, he plans to take a break from Tamil films and start directing his own films.But even his most ardent fans believe that Rajinikanth's real talent lies in Tamil films which have made him what he is today. He is the only Tamil hero whose films are sold even before shooting starts. He is reported to get Rs 25 lakh per film, the highest paid to any hero in the South.His Manithan (human being) released last Diwali is a box-office success, while his latest Guru Shishiya (master-pupil) is drawing packed houses. Says G. Venkateswarao, producer, distributor and president of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce: "He is a goldmine for producers and distributors."No wonder producers form an endless queue outside his door. The average cost of making a Rajinikanth film in Tamil is around Rs 70 lakh. But the film is sold by the producer to the distributor for over Rs 1 crore. A super-successful Rajinikanth film can do business for over Rs 2 crore. Some producers are even buying and dubbing some of his earlier, run-of-the-mill Hindi films into Tamil. Last week, yet another Hindi film of his, Asli Naqli, was dubbed into Tamil as Njane Valabhan. What then is the secret of the success of a man who rose from an ordinary bus conductor to be a megastar? In one word, charisma, Rajinikanth has a screen presence which is awe inspiring. In the Tamil context, his exaggerated swagger and his trademark gimmicks like tossing a cigarette in the air and catching it in his lips have made him a household favourite.advertisementSays Mani, an auto-driver who has seen Guru Shishya four times: "Rajani saar is my hero. All his films may look alike but his style is terrific." In Tamil Nadu, millions of children not only imitate the 'Rajani style' but also make him out to be a superman. Says AVM's Saravanan, the biggest producer in the South: "There is no need of a story in his films. There should be a chance for him to do comedy, drama and action. His screen presence and powerful delivery make him a bearer cheque of a crore rupees for producers."advertisementBut Rajinikanth the man is even more appealing to his fans than the star. There has always been a reckless and defiant quality about him that provided, during his early years of stardom, unending grist for the gossip mill. His personal life was embellished by widely-publicised drinking bouts and public brawls. His favourite targets were film journalists who wrote about his "eccentric" lifestyle. In at least one case, he tried to kill a journalist by driving a car straight at him. There were also stories of how he wrecked a five-star hotel's restaurant in Madras.Finally, in 1981, he had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalised. After that he cut down his film assignments, the next year quietly married Latha, a local college girl, and settled down. Recalls the star: "I could not cope with the pressures of stardom. A few years earlier I was making Rs 320 as a conductor and suddenly I was getting Rs 5 lakh per movie. The fame, money and overwork pushed me to a breaking point."Then followed his spiritual phase from 1986 onwards when he became a devotee of Raghavendra Swami (the Madhwa saint). He even acted in the movie Raghavendra, where he almost made the saint a cult figure. He also became an admirer of the Hare Krishna (ISKON) group, and talked about wanting to take up sanyas. His marriage according to film magazines, was then on the rocks, due to his involvement with spiritualism.advertisementBut all this only added to the mystique. Says Sujatha, a Madras housewife: "It's his personal life that makes him interesting. Everybody has a soft corner for him, mainly due to his background." The common man can identify with Rajinikanth's rags to riches story—one reason why his films do well in villages.Interestingly, Rajinikanth does not have a Tamil background. He was born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, a Maharashtrian, and spent his childhood at Basvangudi, a lower middle class suburb in Bangalore. His mother died when he was eight. His father and brother never cared for him and he took to the streets. He studied up to the pre-university stage. Poverty forced him to do all manner of odd jobs—he even worked as a coolie once.Finally in 1973 he landed a job as a bus conductor with the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. Three years later, bit by the acting bug, he hopped on a train to Madras where he joined a film acting course run by the South Indian Film Chamber. It was here that director K. Balachandar spotted him.advertisementBalachandar changed his name from Sivaji Rao to Rajinikanth and gave him a break in Apoorva Raagangal (strange melodies) in a villain's role. His next film was Moondru Mudichu (three knots) where he was again a villain, but with innovative mannerisms. Says Balachandar: "Rajani was the first actor I met who insisted that he be taken as a villain. He was a unique villain, with specialised mannerisms that went down well with the masses."But it was Bharati Raaja's 16 Vayadhinile (16 years of age)—released in 1977—which earned him super stardom. The movie also catapulted into fame its hero Kamalahasan and heroine Sridevi. It was as an anti-hero that "the Rajani style" created waves at the box-office. But stardom also meant switching roles from villain to hero, which he did successfully in Dharmayudham, a major success.His next big role was in K. Balaji's Billa, a Tamil remake of Amitabh Bachchan's Don that saw him overtaking Kamalahasan as the number one star in the South. Says Bharati Raaja: "Kamalahasan is a great artiste, but Rajinikanth is the hero of the masses. Since 16 Vayadhinile, I have made many award winning movies which bombed in the box-office. To cover my losses I am forced to make a Rajani film."But the tragedy is that the megastar is in reality lonely and aloof. A mellowed man, he is wary of the press. He does not have any close friends and even on the sets, keeps to himself. Apart from shooting assignments, he rarely moves out of his simply-furnished three-bed roomed house at Poes Garden, a posh locality in Madras.Says Rajinikanth: "I am a simple man. I don't believe that just because you are a star you should have imported things." He drives himself to work in a 1980 model Premier Padmini. He had built himself a huge house at Velacheri, a suburb of Madras, but only stayed there a week before shifting back to Poes Garden.Says Latha, his plump and homely wife: "He is a changed man, a spiritual person in quest of the truth. He is almost like a son to me, and I am a mother figure for him." Latha says the press has exaggerated the stories regarding their differences. The Rajinikanths have two daughters—Aiswarya, six, and Soundarya, three. Says Rajani: "We hardly socialise and generally keep to ourselves." He describes himself as a man in pursuit of spiritual solace who reads many books on philosophy. He has invested the bulk of his earnings in real estate and is constructing a Rs 1 crore marriage hall in Madras.His co-stars have only admiration for him. Says Radha, a popular Tamil heroine: "He is not only a great box-office draw but also a fine person." Adds producer Saravanan: "He is very disciplined on the sets and a producer's dream."Rajinikanth today will not touch a movie which will go against his image on the screen. He has also been criticised for taking minor roles in Hindi films. But the superstar is unfazed. "I cannot do more than four Tamil films a year otherwise I will be overexposed. Hindi films give me a national audience...I am an alcoholic but at the same time a workaholic."With the kind of hysteria he generates, it is inevitable that the star would be avidly sought after by every political party in the state. But he has made it clear that politics is not his cup of tea. "I hate the prevailing political climate. I will never be identified with any political party." Having achieved stardom at home—at last count, there were 8,000 Rajinikanth fan clubs in Tamil Nadu—he is now seeking international recognition. Apart from Bloodstone, Rajinikanth is to star in a thriller to be shot in Australia by Mani Retnam, the director of Nayakan, that won Kamalahasan the best actor award.Today he is convinced that he should quit while he is ahead. Says he: "By 1990, I want to quit. The thrill of being a star is fading out." Rajinikanth, however, has a reputation of being moody and unpredictable. Something that hundreds of producers are banking on, determined as they are to ensure that the goose does not stop laying its golden eggs.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch