Over the past 30 years in Tamil cinema, we have seen a
lot of actors come by and try their hands at making it large, and it
can be said that Superstar Rajinikanth
has come closest to winning the heart of wins with his films. With his
screen presence and unrelenting desire to deliver to fans, Rajini has
carved a market for himself through three decades of Kollywood cinema,
during which the entire industry has evolved and gone through
uncountable changes.
A closer look at his career gives us perspective of
one of the most unique actors in the Indian film stage, something that
has been managed by few others over quite a long period of time. His
formula in recent times has been pretty simple - do anything for the
fans with every film in and film out. Rajini doesn't attempt to try out a
groundbreaking new technique; he doesn't pick out controversial scripts
that raise eyebrows in the industry and society. In all fairness, he
doesn't have to. For his extravagance with every movie is a success
formula in itself.
In the early stages of his career, the Rajnikanth we
see today was very different. Guided by the wise K.Balachander, who has
been accepted by both Kamal Hassan and himself as mentor, the actor's
were far from similar. For those of you who weren't around to see him
rise up, one cannot dismiss Rajini's success as luck. In fact, he can
barely be called fortunate. His journey was gritty, just as anyone
else's and his evolution through various levels of stardom improved his
consistency and success rate on screen, which at the end of the day
brings out results no matter what.
Everybody who has known Rajini has been split into
two classes - the ones who fell in love with his performance and style,
and others who criticized his lack of acting. It is indeed true that the
actor's releases in the past decade have been similar and full of
heroism. But, one needs to go back to the days of Mullum Malarum, Thillu
Mullu and even Thalapathy to realize his ability to bring out the best
of emotions. We have still been offered chinks of his best post the
millennium, notably his role as the villain in Endhiran. But, to write
him off quickly without actually knowing the entire picture is both
unfair and immature.
Another aspect of Rajini's films have been their
production value. The Superstar has produced a world full of hits,
unmatched by anyone who have been in the industry for so long. And how
he manages to do so, despite his choice of similar scripts is
mind-boggling. All of his hits post the 80s covering Veera, Annamalai,
Baasha, Muthu, Padayappa, Chandramukhi and even Sivaji has seen him be
the fighter against injustice, well accompanied by his characteristic
rise against evil and and breach through barriers in society that
challenge his character.
While many of his fans and viewers fail to notice,
his effort to make his films watchable have always helped Rajini attract
entire families to theater halls despite occasional lack of interest
that plagued the industry. His films didn't have overly aggressive
action shots, no horrific bloodshed that disturbed the young and the old
and didn't even have excessive obscenity in the form of a glamorous
heroine. It appears as though the actor doesn't give
in to marketing tactics or a powerful drive towards reality at the cost
of the audience. This once again comes as evidence or his dedication
towards his fan base, which grew exponentially with his success.
One of the plus points of Rajini has always been his
ability to connect with everyone in theaters. His action sequences are a
good example. More than anything else, fans feel outraged when Rajni is
dealt the first three blows in a fight, and when their star returns to
take the lead, they see delight. What's so special about this even when
he does it in all of his films, one can never understand? It is rather
you experience in a cinema hall, a packed house on day one filled with
Rajnikanth worshippers. Even they can't give you the answer you seek,
but the experience is never meant to bring up solutions, it rather makes
you stop demanding answers.
In stark contrast, Rajini has always been directly
rivaled to Kamal Hassan. While the duo never let go of a chance to speak
in praise of each other, their different ideologies on screen cannot be
ignored. Kamal, who is also a great representation of Tamil cinema has
extended it's reaches through technical excellence. While the latter, in
Rajini, quietly conquers markets across India, abroad (including Japan,
surprisingly) and thanks the almighty for everything. Unlike several
other fans who argue on terms of obscurity, both Kamal and Rajini fans
can look at each other's films and appreciate the art that is on show,
irrespective of the means through which it is being conveyed.
Like all legendary actors who have impacted society, Rajinikanth
deserves a fair amount of credit for setting examples through his
films. Involuntarily, many of his actions on screens, even the ones that
didn't do very well commercially, have inspired many in real life. His
life in itself saw him become one of the most prominent personalities in
societies, which helped fans realize compassion and determination
actually mattered. One might not give credit to the Superstar for such
things, but just like M.G.Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan inspired many
through their lives and roles, our man is not far away from doing the
same.
In real life, Rajini's success is in stark contrast
with his behavior and actions. The actor is possibly at the epitome of
humble celebrities. Many have appreciated his kind-heartedness and
generosity; right from newcomer actresses to the greatest of legends
don't have to swallow heavy stones while talking about the star or be
obligated to speakly highly on his regard. His celebrity status could
put him in the highest positions in society, but the actors prefers to
enjoy happiness in his trips to the Kailash and helping out friends
which are large in number.
Rajinikanth
is as mystery in real life. He breaches the toughest of tasks with ease
and achieves success in a matter of minutes. Yet, he is unminding
enough and prefers to fit into society just like everyone else. His
acting is convincing and has amassed the largest group of fans in the
world. For all its worth, it's been a privilege witnessing his work, on
and off the screen.
We salute you Rajini sir. Happy Birthday!
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