The day when a bus conductor was reborn, as superstar Rajinikanth

The great Thalaivaa, the man who has been an inspiration to all, the one who actually proved that anything is possible. He is a living legend, he is Rajinikanth. And, it was on this day, 42 years ago, that Rajnikanth stepped into the glamourous world of cinema. His first film ‘Apoorva Raagangal’ directed by K. Balachander had released on August 18, 1975 and that was the beginning of an era one had never imagined. He is the biggest megastar down South and is worshipped by millions, but not many know that he is actually a Maratha-born, who was christened Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, at the time of his birth, by his parents. His journey from being Shivaji Rao Gaekwad to Rajinikanth is truly extraordinary.

Before becoming a superstar, the Thailaivaa did many odd jobs, including that of a coolie and a carpenter. He then got a job of a bus conductor with Bangalore Transport Service. But it was his friend and co-worker Raj Bahadur who channelised the true potential of Rajinikanth. Raj Bahadur was the one to fund Rajinikanth’s acting course in Madras Film Institution wherein he was then noticed by K. Balachander. He was offered a small role in ‘Apoorva Raagangal’, and this was the role that changed his life. There was no looking back for him from here on and today, his filmography expands over more than 200 films. His charm, his machismo and his ultimate power to pull off any role offered to him, made him a gem that the world of Indian cinema is proud of.

Talking about his stint in Bollywood, Rajinkanth’s first venture in Hindi Cinema was ‘Andhaa Kanoon’ that released in the year 1983, that also starred stellar performers like Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Prem Chopra, Amrish Puri and more. Despite this, Rajinikanth shined bright in this film. He then featured in Bollywood films like ‘ChaalBaaz’, ‘Hum’, ‘Baasha’, ‘Dosti Dushmani’ and more. But his story is not as hunky-dory as it seems. Rajinikanth too had a low phase. Nobody fails to remember how he tosses the cigarette in the air and manages to grab it with his teeth. But this act of his called for a lot of trouble for him as well. He was blamed for spoiling the Tamil youth by promoting smoking and drinking. Banners of his films were burnt with his films failing miserably at the box office. But this did not wither away his power and spirit. He bounced back and today we have chapter named after him as ‘From Bus Conductor to Superstar’ in CBSE syllabus. What a life! (Also Read: On this day: Indian Cinema lost a gem with veteran filmmaker Chetan Anand’s demise)

The force that this single man holds remains unrivaled and will always do!

Nikita Thakkar

A strongly opinionated, free-spirited, budding Bollywood journalist, she likes to write anything in her own quirky style. When not running around to get assigned tasks completed, you will find her either painting, indulging in photography or dreaming in the la la land.