50 years of Rajinikanth: From a bus conductor to superstar - journey of Thalaiva | In pics
Rajinikanth needs no introduction. In his career spanning five dacades, the actor has cemented his place in the film industry of an icon through his prolific work.
50 years of Rajinikanth
Rajinikanth is the name that has become synonymous with films and cinema. The man named Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, who went on to become the Thalaiva, completes 50 glorious years in the industry this year. And what would be a better way to celebrate the icon’s journey than looking at his struggles and knowing what his life was before he became Rajinikanth?
Rajinikanth's journey
50 years of Rajinikanth have been full of entertainment, while the initial years may have gone unnoticed, but those years built him as an actor. His journey began in 1975 with Apoorva Raagangal, directed by the legendary K. Balachander. In the movie, Rajini plays a small role alongside Kamal Haasan. However, the actor got his breakthrough as a villain through films like Moondru Mudichu and 16 Vayathinile.
By the late 70s and early 80s, Rajinikanth got a fair share of roles as he went on to shift his gears from protagonist to antagonist. But if we talk about which was Rajinikanth's first movie as a solo lead, it was the 1978 film Bhairavi.
Humble beginnings
Today, Rajinikanth has over 170 films under his belt with more counting. As he continues to win hearts with his performances, the actor didn’t have an easy life as many would have imagined.
Born as Shivaji Rao Gaikwad into a Marathi family in Bangalore, Rajinikanth came from a middle-class family. His mother was a homemaker and his father was a police constable.
Odd jobs as bus conductor and coolie
After completion of his studies, the now-superstar had to do several odd jobs, such as coolie, office boy, and carpenter to make ends meet and support his family financially. He got a job at Bangalore Transport Service as a bus conductor and earned approximately Rs 750 per month.
How he got into acting?
At the time he was working as a conductor and earning, he continued to take part in plays before he took up an acting course at the Madras Film Institute. Although his family didn’t support him in his decision to take up the course, it was his friend and co-worker Raj Bahadur, who motivated him to join the institute and financially supported him.
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