Actor

Rajinikanth

Born 12 December 1950 · Karnataka

Acted in over 170 films across six Indian languages over a career spanning five decades.

Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bangla, and Malayalam. He is widely regarded to be one of the most successful and popular actors in the history of Indian cinema. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016, India's third and second highest civilian honours respectively, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019, the highest Indian award in the field of cinema, and the IFFI Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to world cinema.

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A detail that
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Rajinikanth personally compensated film distributors for the losses they faced from his 2002 movie Baba, a rare act among Indian film stars.

The Story

In 1975, Shivaji Rao Gaikwad debuted in K. Balachander's Tamil drama Apoorva Raagangal, initially playing antagonist roles before shifting to lead characters by 1977 with Bhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri, earning his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for Best Actor.

🌟 The 1980 film Billa, a Tamil remake of Don (1978), marked Rajinikanth’s breakthrough as an action hero, establishing his commercial stardom and dual role portrayal that captivated audiences across South Indian cinema.

3By 1983, Rajinikanth expanded into Hindi cinema with Andhaa Kaanoon, a top-grossing film of the year, showcasing his pan-Indian appeal beyond Tamil Nadu.

4In 1995, Baashha became Rajinikanth’s highest-grossing film to date and retained its record in Tamil cinema for years, solidifying his status as a mass action star with a unique style.

🏅 Awards & Honours

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Padma Bhushan

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Padma Vibhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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After the failure of his film Baba in 2002, Rajinikanth reimbursed the distributors from his own pocket, an uncommon move in Indian cinema to maintain trust in the industry.

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Through the Years

1 photograph from the archives

Rajinikanth photographed at the Mumbai airport during a public appearance (2024)

2024

🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Birth

Birth in Karnataka

Shivaji Rao Gaikwad was born in Bangalore, Karnataka, setting the stage for his future in Indian cinema.

1950

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Career

Film Debut in Apoorva Raagangal

Rajinikanth started his film career with K. Balachander’s Apoorva Raagangal, primarily playing antagonist roles.

1975

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Career

Breakthrough with Billa

His dual role in Billa established Rajinikanth as a mass action hero in Tamil cinema.

1980

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Career

Hindi Cinema Debut

Rajinikanth made his Hindi debut with the top-grossing film Andhaa Kaanoon.

1983

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Career

Baashha Breaks Records

Baashha became the highest-grossing Tamil film of its time, cementing his superstar status.

1995

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Career

Baba Box Office Failure

Following Baba's failure, Rajinikanth repaid distributors from his own funds, showing rare personal accountability.

2002

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Career

Comeback with Chandramukhi

Chandramukhi became the highest-grossing Tamil film, revitalizing Rajinikanth’s career post-hiatus.

2005

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Career

Sivaji Enters 100 Crore Club

Sivaji became the first Tamil film to cross 100 crore rupees at the box office.

2007

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Award

Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Rajinikanth received the highest Indian cinema honor, acknowledging over five decades of work.

2019

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🗝️Discoveries

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🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Rajinikanth’s 2007 film Sivaji was the first Tamil film to enter the 100 Crore Club, marking a milestone in Tamil cinema’s commercial success.

Wikipedia

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🏆ACHIEVEMENT

In 1980, Rajinikanth’s dual role in Billa, a remake of a Hindi film, propelled him to mass action hero status across South Indian film industries.

Wikipedia

03 / 04

🔍LESSER KNOWN

Though known for action roles, Rajinikanth publicly credits spiritual films like Baba and Sree Raghavendra for giving him deep soul satisfaction and has spoken openly about Kriya yoga.

The Federal

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"Om Guruvey Saranam."

— Rajinikanth

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons

Exclusive interview with Super Star Rajinikanth

·YouTube

🌱 What changed because of them

Rajinikanth’s influence transformed Tamil cinema's commercial landscape with record-breaking films like Baashha and Sivaji that raised box office benchmarks. His commitment to distributors’ welfare after Baba demonstrated a new model of accountability in the film industry. Moreover, his public embrace of spirituality introduced a rare fusion of celebrity culture and personal philosophy in Indian cinema.

💬 Social Buzz

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💭 Memories & Tributes

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Rajinikanth

A detail thatsurprised us

The Story

🏅 Awards & Honours

🔍 One thing most people don't know

Through the Years

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🗝️Discoveries

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

🌱 What changed because of them

💬 Social Buzz

💭 Memories & Tributes

A detail that
surprised us