Rajinikanth

Rajinikanth – The Superstar of Indian Cinema

Full Name: Shivaji Rao Gaikwad
Date of Birth: 12 December 1950
Profession: Actor, producer, screenwriter
Industry: Tamil cinema (also Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali and Malayalam films)

Rajinikanth, known as the “Superstar” of Tamil cinema, has appeared in around 170 films over a career spanning five decades. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016, and he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2019 — Indian cinema’s highest honour — at the 67th National Film Awards ceremony held in 2021.

Early Life and Career

• Birth and background: Born on 12 December 1950 into a Marathi family in Bangalore, Mysore State (now Karnataka). His father, Ramoji Rao Gaekwad, was a police constable and his mother a homemaker; the family’s ancestors came from Pune district, Maharashtra.
• Schooling: Studied at the Gavipuram Government Kannada Model Primary School and later at Acharya Pathasala, and was taught at the Ramakrishna Math, where he began acting in plays.
• Bus conductor: Worked for the Bangalore Transport Service as a bus conductor before pursuing acting.
• Film Institute: Joined the Madras Film Institute, where director K. Balachander noticed him and gave him the screen name Rajinikanth.
• Debut: Made his acting debut in the Tamil film Apoorva Raagangal (1975).

Filmography and Style

• Debut role: A small but impactful role in Apoorva Raagangal, followed by a run of antagonist parts.
• Rise to stardom: Bhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri (1977), Mullum Malarum and Aval Appadithan (both 1978) brought critical acclaim; the dual role in Billa (1980) made him an action star.
• Hindi debut: Andhaa Kaanoon (1983), followed by Geraftaar (1985), Chaalbaaz (1989) and other Hindi films.
• Notable films: Moondru Mugam (1982), Nallavanukku Nallavan (1984), Thalapathi (1991), Annaamalai (1992), Baashha (1995), Muthu (1995), Padayappa (1999), Chandramukhi (2005), Sivaji (2007), Enthiran (2010), Kabali (2016), Kaala (2018), 2.0 (2018), Petta (2019), Jailer (2023) and Coolie (2025).

Awards and Recognition

• Padma Bhushan: Conferred on 26 January 2000, India’s third-highest civilian honour.
• Padma Vibhushan: Conferred on 25 January 2016, India’s second-highest civilian honour.
• Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Awarded for the year 2019 and presented at the 67th National Film Awards ceremony in 2021.
• IFFI Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award: Presented at the 56th International Film Festival of India in 2025.
• Filmfare Awards South: One win — Best Tamil Actor for Nallavanukku Nallavan (1984) — from eighteen nominations in that category.
• Tamil Nadu State Film Awards: Eight awards, including Best Actor for Muthu, Padayappa, Chandramukhi and Sivaji.

Personal Life

• Marriage: Married Latha Rangachari on 26 February 1981 in Tirupati.
• Children: Two daughters – Aishwarya and Soundarya. He has four grandchildren.
• Politics: Announced his entry into politics on 31 December 2017, but dissolved his organisation Rajini Makkal Mandram on 12 July 2021 and said he has no plans to enter politics.
• Philanthropy: Campaigned for corneal transplantation and eye donation in Tamil Nadu, and has kept most of his charitable work undisclosed.

Rajinikanth’s recent activity

• Starred in T. J. Gnanavel’s action drama Vettaiyan, released on 10 October 2024, and made a guest appearance in his daughter Aishwarya’s sports drama Lal Salaam (2024).
• Starred in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s action thriller Coolie, released on 14 August 2025.
• Was honoured with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at the 56th International Film Festival of India in 2025.
• Is working on Jailer 2, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and scheduled for release on 15 October 2026.

Rajinikanth Awards List