ON THE SUPERSTAR
Superstar Rajinikanth defies all conventional analyses – no one has reigned supreme for as long as he has in the world of Indian cinema. With over 150 films under his belt, many of them blockbusters, he still plays the hero at 70, and the devotion of his legions of fans has not waned during the 40-odd years of his stardom.
In a state that saw the Dravidian self respect movement propagate atheism, fans worship his cutouts and bathe them with milk and beer, as if he were their god. In a society famous for its pride in its language, it is curious that a Kannadiga whose family hails from Maharashtra, an outsider, should emerge as a thalaivar or leader. With the death of J Jayalalithaa, a former actor, and M Karunanidhi, who was a scriptwriter for films – leaders of the AIADMK AND DMK respectively Rajinikanth’s’ fans believed there was a political vacuum that only he could fill. Ultimately, however, the superstar withdrew from the political arena.
Rajnikanth: A Life is the best account yet of the man who was once a coolie and a bus conductor in Bangalore and now virtually a god in Tamil Nadu.