Warning!! :: This post may be considered by many to be highly biased towards Rajnikanth. Can be seen as one which glorifies him. This should be excused, taking into consideration that i am a very big fan....
A five letter word that inspires millions of fans to go into a frenzy or into a fervour at times. Glorification. Hero-worship. The lone superstar of Indian cinema in the true sense of the word.
The above video appears at the beginning of every Rajini movie since Annamalai, and is enough to bring the roof down, with a storm of whistles, claps and confetti at a first-day-first-show at any theatre in the world. Rajini's popularity is not limited to Tamil Nadu alone, he is hugely popular in Japan also, as he is with all the Tamil population on earth. You can expect the same reaction to a Rajini film on the first day in California as you can expect in the Chrompet Vettri theatre. He's been ruling Tamil Cinema for 30 years, ever since his debut in Apoorva Raagangal. The undisputed emperor. Box-office king. His macho image and unbelievable stunts on screen may somehow seem laughable for non-tamilians. But hey, consider the results!! Chandramukhi, his latest movie, is rumoured to have grossed in excess of Rs. 80 crores at the box-office, a record for any Indian film upto date, giving Bollywood extravaganzas such as Lagaan and Kal Ho Na Ho a run for their money. He is the second highest paid actor in Asia after only Jackie Chan, and is rumoured to get Rs. 16 crore as salary for his upcoming movie, Sivaji.
He appeared on The India Today list of the most influential people in India. Is a recipient of the Padmabhushan award, the highest honour that can be conferred on a cine personality by the Indian Government. He's not exactly famous for his acting skills as he is for his mannerisms and styles. He cannot dance as well as his wanna-bes. But who cares? He's still at the top.
The Cigarette style. Has mesmerised millions of tamil cinema-goers across the decades. Lightning quick. A flick of the fingers, and the cigarette is lighted, another flick, and it sits in his mouth, blowing smoke all around. People who want attention and popularity in Tamil Nadu can either align with Rajinikanth, or publicly abash him in some form, by virtue of which they'll either earn the goodwill or incur the wrath of his innumerable fans, who swear loyalty and will do anything for him.
But the one main quality that endears Rajni to everyone is his down-to-earth, simple, character. He is deeply religious and spiritual, and frequently visits the Himalayas. He does not politically exploit his popularity. He does not misuse his fan-power. He engages in various service-oriented gestures either on his own, through his Sri Ragavendra Trust, or his fan clubs. He was in a large way responsible for the victory of the DMK-TMC alliance in the 1996 TN assembly elections by means of a single televised interview asking people to support that combine. He rarely appears in the public. He could earn ten times of what he does now by appearing in ads the way bollywood stars do. Shah Rukh Khan once said : I am only here to make money, I know my commercial value, and will exploit it. But not Rajini. The only time he's appeared on TV in some kind of advertisement is for a polio campaign in 1996. For free.
His 153rd film, Sivaji, is supposedly the biggest movie of his career, directed by Shankar, produced by AVM, and to be released sometime next year. The day the announcement was made, the frenzy begun. Fans, the media and the general public. Speculating. Wondering. As to what the story of the movie's going to be. Who the heroine is. The music director. Cameraman. A simple announcement whipped up a frenzy among the entire Tamil speaking conti
ngent in the world. Stills leaked out from the movie's shooting make headlines. The weeks leading up to the movie's release will be ones of ultimate pandemonium. You have to see it to believe it. Also, the possibility of this movie being one of their Thalaivar's last movies adds on. Everyone cashes in on Rajni's popularity except the man himself.
Many say that the reason behind Rajini's success is his portrayal of roles that appeal directly to the common man. An auto-driver. Milkman. Coolie. Taxi-driver. Some others say it is his charismatic personality in real-life, his simplicity and good-naturedness. Whether its cos of his style on screen or aura off-screen, Rajini commands the attention of the public in Tamil Nadu like no one else in the entertainment field all over India. If Tom Cruise is Hollywood's most bankable star, then Rajini is India's version.
Tamil Nadu has a history of hero-worship, that begun with the days of MGR. After MGR, it was Rajini. Now, as Rajini is 56 and his career is coming to a close, there are a host of other younger-generation actors who are Rajini-wannabes. They imitate the man's style and try to deliver punch-dialogues. But well, a punch-dialogue is meant only for the superstar. Not for any *****-star who imitates him. When Rajni came on to the field, his style of acting, mannerisms, etc were all original. Vijay and Ajith are supposedly the contenders for the title of superstar. Wtf?? There cannot be two superstars. Ever.
A five letter word that inspires millions of fans to go into a frenzy or into a fervour at times. Glorification. Hero-worship. The lone superstar of Indian cinema in the true sense of the word.
The above video appears at the beginning of every Rajini movie since Annamalai, and is enough to bring the roof down, with a storm of whistles, claps and confetti at a first-day-first-show at any theatre in the world. Rajini's popularity is not limited to Tamil Nadu alone, he is hugely popular in Japan also, as he is with all the Tamil population on earth. You can expect the same reaction to a Rajini film on the first day in California as you can expect in the Chrompet Vettri theatre. He's been ruling Tamil Cinema for 30 years, ever since his debut in Apoorva Raagangal. The undisputed emperor. Box-office king. His macho image and unbelievable stunts on screen may somehow seem laughable for non-tamilians. But hey, consider the results!! Chandramukhi, his latest movie, is rumoured to have grossed in excess of Rs. 80 crores at the box-office, a record for any Indian film upto date, giving Bollywood extravaganzas such as Lagaan and Kal Ho Na Ho a run for their money. He is the second highest paid actor in Asia after only Jackie Chan, and is rumoured to get Rs. 16 crore as salary for his upcoming movie, Sivaji.
He appeared on The India Today list of the most influential people in India. Is a recipient of the Padmabhushan award, the highest honour that can be conferred on a cine personality by the Indian Government. He's not exactly famous for his acting skills as he is for his mannerisms and styles. He cannot dance as well as his wanna-bes. But who cares? He's still at the top.
The Cigarette style. Has mesmerised millions of tamil cinema-goers across the decades. Lightning quick. A flick of the fingers, and the cigarette is lighted, another flick, and it sits in his mouth, blowing smoke all around. People who want attention and popularity in Tamil Nadu can either align with Rajinikanth, or publicly abash him in some form, by virtue of which they'll either earn the goodwill or incur the wrath of his innumerable fans, who swear loyalty and will do anything for him.
But the one main quality that endears Rajni to everyone is his down-to-earth, simple, character. He is deeply religious and spiritual, and frequently visits the Himalayas. He does not politically exploit his popularity. He does not misuse his fan-power. He engages in various service-oriented gestures either on his own, through his Sri Ragavendra Trust, or his fan clubs. He was in a large way responsible for the victory of the DMK-TMC alliance in the 1996 TN assembly elections by means of a single televised interview asking people to support that combine. He rarely appears in the public. He could earn ten times of what he does now by appearing in ads the way bollywood stars do. Shah Rukh Khan once said : I am only here to make money, I know my commercial value, and will exploit it. But not Rajini. The only time he's appeared on TV in some kind of advertisement is for a polio campaign in 1996. For free.
His 153rd film, Sivaji, is supposedly the biggest movie of his career, directed by Shankar, produced by AVM, and to be released sometime next year. The day the announcement was made, the frenzy begun. Fans, the media and the general public. Speculating. Wondering. As to what the story of the movie's going to be. Who the heroine is. The music director. Cameraman. A simple announcement whipped up a frenzy among the entire Tamil speaking conti
ngent in the world. Stills leaked out from the movie's shooting make headlines. The weeks leading up to the movie's release will be ones of ultimate pandemonium. You have to see it to believe it. Also, the possibility of this movie being one of their Thalaivar's last movies adds on. Everyone cashes in on Rajni's popularity except the man himself.Many say that the reason behind Rajini's success is his portrayal of roles that appeal directly to the common man. An auto-driver. Milkman. Coolie. Taxi-driver. Some others say it is his charismatic personality in real-life, his simplicity and good-naturedness. Whether its cos of his style on screen or aura off-screen, Rajini commands the attention of the public in Tamil Nadu like no one else in the entertainment field all over India. If Tom Cruise is Hollywood's most bankable star, then Rajini is India's version.
Tamil Nadu has a history of hero-worship, that begun with the days of MGR. After MGR, it was Rajini. Now, as Rajini is 56 and his career is coming to a close, there are a host of other younger-generation actors who are Rajini-wannabes. They imitate the man's style and try to deliver punch-dialogues. But well, a punch-dialogue is meant only for the superstar. Not for any *****-star who imitates him. When Rajni came on to the field, his style of acting, mannerisms, etc were all original. Vijay and Ajith are supposedly the contenders for the title of superstar. Wtf?? There cannot be two superstars. Ever.
2 comments:
Thalaivar vaazhga!!!
come..ktg..but you have to accept that chandramuikhi was bad
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