Once A Coolie, Who Carried Rice Sacks, Became Mega Filmstar, Earned 'God-Like' Status, Net Worth Rs 430 Crore

South Film Industry: For millions of people, Rajinikanth is more than simply a name. Many people in the film industry were raised idolizing Rajinikanth. Not only in Tamil Nadu but also across the nation, the release of his movie is nothing short of a carnival. The actor, affectionately referred to as 'Thailavar' by his admirers and peers, launched his acting career in 1975 with K. Balachander's movie Apoorva Raagangal. His dedication has now elevated him to "god-like" stature.

Rajinikanth has now worked in the industry for 48 years. But the road to superstardom was not straightforward. Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, named after Chhatrapati Shivaji, is Rajinikanth's birth name. He was born in Bangalore to a Maharashtrian mother. His father was a Police Head Constable. Rajinikanth suffered as a young child growing up in a modest middle-class home. He began by working as a coolie, then took on a carpentry job, then carried rice sacks for money before taking the exam to join Bangalore Transport Service as a bus conductor.

Even as a bus conductor, Rajnikanth was able to win people over with his charisma, to the point where they would forgo other buses in order to board the bus of this youthful and endearing conductor. The Sivaji actor, who lost his mother when he was 9 years old, later worked in theater, and Sivaji Ganesan inspired him to pursue a career in film. With some financial assistance from a friend, he managed to enroll himself at the Madras Film Institute, where he caught the attention of Tamil film director K. Balachander. Since that time, Thalaivar has not turned back!

The heyday of Rajinikanth was in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In films like Mullum Malarum, Johnny, and Thillu Mullu, which went on to become huge hits, he played comedic roles. He truly was a one-man army. Because of his films' consistent box office success, he rose to the status of a bankable star. Since the 1970s, he has had a string of critically and financially successful films, including Naan Sigappu Manithan, Padikkathavan, Mr. Bharath, Velaikaran, and Dharmathin Thalaivan. In the 1990s, he gave Thalapathi, Annamalai, Mannan, Veera, and Baasha.

There is only one megastar, and none are comparable! At 71, he is unlike everyone else! The same charisma and aura that draw audiences to theaters are there in him. Rajinikanth has demonstrated that if a person is dedicated to accomplishing great things, age is simply a number and doesn't really matter.