Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor who works primarily in Tamil cinema. He began acting in plays while working in the Bangalore Transport Service as a bus conductor. In 1973, he joined the Madras Film Institute to pursue a diploma in acting. Following his debut in K. Balachander’s 1975 Tamil drama Apoorva Raagangal, his acting career commenced with a brief phase of portraying antagonistic characters in Tamil films.
Birth Name
Shivaji Rao Gaekwad
Nickname
Rajinikanth, Superstar, Thalaivar
Profession
Actor, Producer, Screenplay Writer
Nationality
Indian
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Rajinikanth was born on the 12th of December 1950, in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
Age
He’s currently 72 years old.
Sun Sign
Sagittarius
Ethnicity
Indian
Religion
Hinduism
Education
Rajinikanth attended Government Kannada Model Primary School in Gavipuram, Bengaluru. When he was in 6th grade, he got enrolled at the Acharya Pathasala Public School and studied there until the completion of his pre-university studies. Upon completion of his school education, he performed several jobs including that of a coolie, before getting a job in the Bangalore Transport Service (BTS) as a bus conductor. He decided to take up an acting course in the newly formed Madras Film Institute after coming across an advertisement.
Family Details
- Father – Ramoji Rao Gaekwad (Police Constable)
- Mother – His mother was a housewife.
- Siblings – Satyanarayana Rao (Older Brother), Nageshwara Rao (Older Brother), Aswath Balubhai (Older Sister)
Marital Status
Married
Girlfriend / Spouse
Rajinikanth has dated –
- Latha Rangachari (1981-Present) – In February 1981, Rajinikanth got married to Latha Rangachari in Tirupati, Andra Pradesh. They had first met when she was studying at the Ethiraj College for Women and had conducted his interview for the college magazine. In the course of their marriage, she has given birth to two daughters- Aishwarya and Soundarya. Aishwarya married actor Dhanush on 18 November 2004 and they have two sons, Yathra and Linga. His younger daughter, Soundarya, works in the Tamil film industry as a director, producer and graphic designer. She married industrialist Ashwin Ramkumar on 3 September 2010 and have a son Ved Krishna.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 9 inches
- In centimeters – 175 cm
- In meters – 1.75 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 74 kg
- In Pounds – 163 lbs
Body Build
Average
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Shoe Size
His shoe size is 11 (US).
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Rajinikanth is widely regarded as the most popular actor in South India and is the highest grossing actor in Tamil cinema history. Many cite reasons for Rajinikanth’s popularity as coming from his larger than life super hero appearance in many films, supported by gravity defying stunts and charismatic expressions.
Film Debut
In 1975, Rajinikanth made his theatrical film debut in the supporting role in the Tamil drama movie, Apoorva Raagangal.
Brand Endorsements
Rajinikanth isn’t a fan of doing endorsement work for any brand. Over the course of his career that has spanned over 4 decades, he has steadfastly refused to appear in any television advertisement.
Rajinikanth Favorites
- Favorite Actor – Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Sylvester Stallone
- Favorite Actress – Rekha, Hema Malini
- Favorite Musician – Ilayaraja
- Favorite Favorite Place – The Himalayas
- Favorite Sport – Cricket
- Favorite Politician – Lee Kuan Yew (Former Prime Minister of Singapore)
- Favorite Books – Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki, Amma Vanthal by T Janakiraman
- Favorite Food – South Indian Cuisine, Mutton or Chicken Curry
Rajinikanth Net worth
Rajinikanth has an estimated net worth of $55 million dollars as of 2022. He is one of the highest-paid Indian actors in the business and the most bankable star of the South Indian film industry. Rajinikanth has a few collections of cars like Premier Padmini Fiat, Chevrolet Tavera, Toyota Innova, a Bently and a Range Rover. He lives with his family in a luxury house in Poes Garden, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The house boasts all features and amenities.
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – Rajinikanth
- Instagram – rajinikanth
- Twitter – Rajinikanth
Some Lesser Known Facts About Rajinikanth
- Rajinikanth is a Maharashtrian by birth and proclaims himself as a Tamilian because of being in Tamil Nadu for more than four decades and was widely accepted by Tamils.
- After the completion of his school education, he did a number of odd jobs including working as a carpenter and coolie in Bangalore and Madras.
- In 1973, he joined the Madras Film Institute to pursue a diploma in acting.
- Bloodstone was his debut and only English film of all time during his career.
- Known for simplicity and down to earth person, Rajinikanth never is late for shootings. He will not meet the visitors after 9 pm.
- Rajinikanth has worked with all popular actresses, of which Sripriya is the only actress to have worked with him in more than 27 movies. Likewise, Meena is the only actress to have worked with him as a child artist and as a heroine.
- Rajini is popularly known for his style quotient and fast delivery of dialogues. Many used to practice his style of tossing cigarettes, which was popular at that time.
- He no more smokes or drinks.
- In 1978, he received critical acclaim for his roles in Mullum Malarum and Aval Appadithan the former earned him a Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for Best Actor.
- In 1981, he appeared in Garjanai which was shot simultaneously in Kannada and Malayalam making it his last film in those two languages to date.
- In 1983, he starred in his first Bollywood film, Andha Kanoon, alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini. The film went on to become one of the highest grossing films of that time.
- Fans of Rajinikanth in Tamil Nadu have continuously speculated on his entry in politics, particularly to run for the Chief Minister of the state since 1996.
- In 2002, he decided to go on a day-long fast after Karnataka’s government decided not to release water from Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu. He even decided to donate INR 10 million to the cause.
- In 2004, Rajinikanth said he would personally vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but would not extend his support to any front during the upcoming Indian general election. The party however, failed to win any seats in Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha.
- Rajini became the highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan in 2007. He was paid Rs 26 crore for Sivaji.
- In 2008, he decided to join the cause of Nadigar Sangam and go on a hunger strike with the organization as they decided to take on Karnataka Government over their stand on the Hogenakkal Falls water dispute.
- In 2008, Rajinikanth took part in a hunger strike organised by the Nadigar Sangam against Karnataka’s stance on the Hogenakkal Falls water dispute.
- In January 2011, Rajinikanth was slated to appear in Rana, a period film to be produced by Soundarya Rajinikanth and directed by K. S. Ravikumar, who would work with the actor for a third time.
- In December 31, 2017, he announced that he’ll definitely plunge into politics and will face the 2021 elections with his own political party, contesting at all constituencies in Tamil Nadu.
- In 2019, Rajinikanth starred in Karthik Subbaraj’s Petta, in which his performance received praise for his return to his vintage stereotypical style of acting. The combined gross earnings of Kaala, 2.0 and Petta by the end of January 2019 was determined to be over ₹1000 crore according to trade analysts.
