Rajnikanth was born on December 12 1949 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He was the fourth child to his parents, Rambhai and Ramoji Rao.His original name was Sivaji Rao Gaekwad. He lost his mother at the age of five. He had his schooling at the Acharya Patasala in Bangalore and then at the Vivekananda Balak Sangh, a unit of the Ramakrishna Mission. His mother tongue is Marathi, though he has not done any films in it.Before starting his career in the film industry, he had to take up all sorts of odd jobs. He served as a bus conductor for Karnataka state transport corporation in Bangalore. It was during this time that he nurtured his acting interests by performing in various stage plays.
ACTING CAREER:
A friend helped him to join the Madras Film institute where Rajnikanth completed basic acting course in 1974 at the age of 25.He started his acting career in Kannada in the movie Kathaa Sangama, directed by Puttanna Kanagal, in 1976.In Tamil, he started with playing supporting roles, beginning as a cancer patient in Apoorva Raagangal (1975), directed by K. Balachander, who assigned him his stage name Rajnikanth. After several villainous roles, his first positive role was Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri (1979), in which Rajnikanth played a
failed lover in the first half and a do-gooder in the second.
The second phase of his life started with K Balaji’s Billa, a superhit disproving the canard spread by detractors that Rajnikant was “finished”. He was accepted as a full-fledged hero. Billa was followed by a row of hits like Pokkiri Raja, Thanikkattu Raja, Naan Mahaan Alla and the all-important Moondru Mugham, in which Rajni essayed a triple role. Even two decades after its release, the last continues to be a box-office draw and Rajni’s fans can never tire of the thalaivar’s verbal clash with villain Senthamarai. K Balachander’s first home production, Nettrikkam proved to be yet another milestone in Rajni’s career.As an actor, Rajnikant’s greatest asset, apart from his style is his sense of humour and comic timing. Like Amitabh Bachchan is popular for his drunken soliloquies, Rajnikant is famous for his comic encounters with snakes, repeated umpteen times.
In the early 80s, Rajnikant made a foray into Bollywood with Andhaa Kanoon, a superhit. But Rajnikant could not concentrate on Hindi films because he was already safely ensconced down South. He still made a few films in Hindi, to mention specially Chaalbaaz which had Sridevi in a dual role.After several films in the Eighties, he played a Hindu saint in his 100th movie, Sri Raghavendra. Many others followed, among them dramas, comedies and, at the end of the eighties, action-oriented family entertainers like Velaikkaran and Manidhan.Annamalai, which released in 1992, was the first Rajini film to gross almost Rs. 100 million at the box office.A new trend where his films’ collections exceed normal regional film expectations started off with Basha, followed by Annamalai, Arunachalam, Ejaman, Muthu and Padayappa. It’s now an accepted fact that only a Rajnikant film can break records set by his own films.Apart from Tamil, Rajnikanth has acted in over 160 movies, including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Bengali. He has also acted in a Hollywood movie Bloodstone in 1988.
Rajnikanth was awarded the Padma Bhushan award in the year 2000 and was rated as one of the most influential persons in South Asia by Asia week. Rajnikanth has won the Filmfare Best Actor Award, South on 2 occasions. He is the highest paid actor in India and the second
highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan.
Unlike the eighties, several movies during his nineties were successful, like Muthu or Basha. At 53, his Baba released amid fanfare. Although the film grossed enough to cover its budget, it was viewed as a miserable showing and fell short of market expectations accumulating heavy losses for the distributors. Rajnikanth himself returned the losses back to the distributors who had immense faith in him. The whole affair cost him dear in terms of repute of making a comeback.
Chandramukhi, a remake of the Malayalam movie Manichitrathazhu. Chandramukhi was claimed as one of the most successful Tamil films ever as it ran in theatres for over 700 days since release and still running. His next film, Sivaji: The Boss, directed by S. Shankar will be released in 2007.
RAJNIKANTH FILMOGRAPHY:
DEBUT:
Tamil:Aboorva Ragangal
Hindi:Andhaa Kanoon
Telugu:Anthuleni Katah
English: Blood stone
Kannada:Katha Sangama
Malayalam: Alavudheenum Arputha Vilakkum
Bengali: BhagyaDevta
CAREER FIRSTS:
Hero: Bhairavi
Dual role: Billa
Triple role: Moondru Mugam
Positive role: Kavikuyil
Singing: Adikuthu Kuliru (Mannan)
Story and Screenplay: Valli
Movie dubbed and released in Japan: Muthu
First Film: Katha Sangama
50th Film: Tiger (Telugu)
100th Film: Shri Raghavendra
125th Film: Rajathi Raja
150th Film : Padyappa
AWARDS:
* 2000 Padma Bhushan award from the Govt of India-Tamil Nadu Govt awards
* 1999 - Best Actor(Padayappa)
* 1989 - MGR award
* 1984- Kalaimamani award
* 1982- Best Actor (Moondru Mugam)
* 1978 - Best Actor(mullum Malarum)-Filmfare Awards
* 1984 - Best Actor(Nallavanuku Nallavan)-Cinema Express Awards
* 1995- Best Actor(Muthu)
* 1993 - Best Story writer (Valli)
* 1992 - Best Actor( Annamalai)
* 1991 - Best Actor(Thalapathy)
* 1988 - Best Achiever Award(Blood Stone)
* 1985 - Best Actor(Sri Raagavendirar)
* 1984 - Best Actor(Nallavanauku Nallavan)
* 1995 Best Actor Screen Awards(Peaddarayadu)
AS AN ACTOR:
* Sivaji (2007) .... Shivaji
* Chandramukhi (2005) (as Super Star Rajinikanth) .... Dr.Saravanan/Vettaiyan Raja
* Baba (2002) (as Super Star Rajnikanth) .... Baba
* Bulandi (2000) (as Superstar Rajnikant) .... Ghajraj Thakur
* Padaiyappa (1999) .... Padaiyappa
* Krantikari (1997) (as Rajnikant)
* Arunachalam (1997) .... Arunachalam
* Aatank Hi Aatank (1995) .... Munna
* Badsha (1995) .... Badsha/Manickam
* Muthu (1995) .... Muthu
* Peda Rayudu (1995) .... Murdered Village Chief
* Zameen (1995) (as Rajnikant)
* Veera (1994) .... Muthuveerappan "Veera"
* Ejamaan (1993) .... Vanavarayan
* Insaniyat Ke Devta (1993) .... Anwar
* Uzhaippaali (1993)
* Valli (1993)
* Tyagi (1992) .... Shankar G. 'Dadhu' Dayal
* Mannan (1992) .... Krishna
* Annamalai (1992) .... Annamalai
* Pandian (1992) .... Pandiyan
* Thalapathi (1991) .... Surya
* Nattukku Oru Nallavan (1991)
* Khoon Ka Karz (1991) .... Kishan/Assistant Commissioner Yamdoot
* Farishtay (1991) .... Inspector Arjun Singh Tange
* Hum (1991) (as Rajnikant) .... Kumar
* Dharma Dorai (1991)
* Phool Bane Angaarey (1991) (as Rajnikant) .... Inspector Ranjeet Singh
* Shanti Kranti (1991)
* Adisaya Piravi (1990)
* ChaalBaaz (1989) (as Rajinikant) .... Jaggu
* Bhrashtachar (1989) .... Abdul Sattar
* Gair Kaanooni (1989) (as Rajani Kant) .... Azam Khan
* Kodiparakkudu (1989) .... Erode Shivagiri/Dada
* Mappilai (1989)
* Raajadhi Raaja (1989)
* Raja Chinna Roja (1989)
* Siva (1989)
* Bloodstone (1988) (as Rajni Kanth) .... Shyam Sabu
* Tamacha (1988) (as Rajanikant) .... Vikram Pratap Singh 'Vicky'
* Dharmathin Thalaivan (1988)
* Guru Sisyan (1988)
* Uttar Dakshin (1987)
* Daku Hasina (1987) .... Mangal Singh
* Velaikkaaran (1987)
* Asli Naqli (1986) (as Rajnikant) .... Birju Ustad
* Bhagwan Dada (1986) .... Bhagwaan Dada
* Dosti Dushmani (1986)
* Maaveran (1986)
* Mr. Bharath (1986/I)
* Naan Adimai Illai (1986)
* Geraftaar (1985) (as Rajanikanth) .... Inspector Hussein (Guest Appearance)
* Wafadaar (1985) (as Rajani Kant) .... Ranga
* Bewafai (1985) .... Ranvir
* Mahaguru (1985) .... Vijay (Maha Guru)
* Aaj Ka Dada (1985)
* Ek Saudagar (1985) .... Kishore
* Naan Sigappu Manithan (1985)
* Padikkathavan (1985)
* Sree Raaghavendar (1985) .... Venkatanathan
* Unn Kannil Neer Vazhindal (1985)
* John Jani Janardhan (1984) .... Janardhan Gupta
* Gangvaa (1984)
* Insaaf Kaun Karega (1984) (as Rajnikant) .... Police Inspector Vikram Singh
* Meri Adalat (1984) (as Rajnikant)
* Aakhri Sangram (1984) .... Bholu Pandit
* Anbulla Rajanikant (1984)
* Bhooka Sher (1984)
* Kai Kodukkam Kai (1984) .... Kaalimuthu
* Naan Mahaan Alla (1984)
* Nallavanukku Nallavan (1984)
* Thambikku Entha Ooru (1984)
* Zulm Ki Zanjeer (1984)
* Jeet Hamaari (1983) (as Rajinikanth) .... Raju
* Adutha Varisu (1983)
* Andhaa Kanoon (1983) .... Vijay Kumar Singh
* Moondru Mugham (1983) .... Alex Pandiyan
* Paayum Puli (1983) (as Rajinikant)
* Sivappu Sooriyan (1983)
* Thanga Magan (1983)
* Agni Sakshi (1982)
* Engeyo Ketta Kural (1982)
* Pokkiri Raja (1982)
* Pudhu Kavithai (1982)
* Ranga (1982)
* Thanikatu Raja (1982)
* Thee (1981)
* Black Cobra (1981)
* Garjanai (1981)
* Kazhagu (1981)
* Netri Kann (1981)
* Ranuva Veeran (1981)
* Thillu Mullu (1981) .... Chandran/Indiran
* Kaali (1980) .... Kaali
* Anbukku Naan Adimai (1980)
* Billa (1980) .... Billa
* Ellaam Un Kairaasi (1980)
* Johnny/Jani (1980)
* Murattu Kaalai (1980) .... Kaaliyan
* Naan Potta Savaal (1980)
* Ram Robert Rahim (1980) .... Ram
* Aarilirindhu Aruvathu Varai (1979)
* Alavuddinum Athbutha Vilakkum (1979) .... Kamruddin
* Annai Oru Aalayam (1979)
* Dharma Yuddham (1979)
* Johnny (1979)
* Kuppathu Raja (1979)
* Naan Vaazha Vaippen (1979) .... Michael
* Ninaithale Inikkum (1979)
* Thai Illamal Naan Illai (1979)
* Shankar Saleem Simon (1978)
* Aval Appadithaan (1978) .... Advertising Boss
* Bhairavi (1978)
* Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu (1978) .... Murli
* Mullum Malarum (1978) .... Kali
* Priya (1978)
* Thappitha Thala (1978)
* Aadu Puli Atham (1977)
* Avargal (1977) .... Ramnath
* Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri (1977)
* Chilakamma Cheppindi (1977) .... Kasi
* Gayatri (1977)
* Pathinaru Vayathinile (1977) .... Parattayan
* Anthuleni Katha (1976) .... Murthy
* Moondru Mudichu (1976)
* Apoorva Raagangal (1975)
* Katha Sangama (1975)
AS A WRITER:
1. Baba (2002) (screenplay) (story)
AS PRODUCER:
1. Baba (2002) (producer)
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