50 years of Rajinism: How Rajinikanth became a superstar – The struggles behind his success
Rajinikanth rose from humble beginnings as a bus driver in Bengaluru to become one of India’s biggest superstars, overcoming financial struggles, language barriers, and early typecasting.
It's hard to believe that Rajinikanth went from being a bus driver in Bengaluru to one of India's biggest stars. It shows that hard effort, determination, and a natural charm may help you get ahead. He didn't become renowned all at once; it took him a long time. He had to trust in himself and put in a lot of effort.
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Starting small and dealing with difficulties right away Rajinikanth's family was poor and lived in Maharashtra. He was born in Bengaluru. His name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad. He had trouble with money when he was a kid. His mother died when he was young, which caused him a lot of stress, and he started taking on obligations at an early age. He did a variety of jobs to make ends meet, beginning out as a carpenter and then becoming a coolie. He later got a more stable employment as a bus driver with the Bangalore Transport Service. He was very good at his profession since he was naturally charming and had a knack for it. People who ride the bus still remember how cool he looked when he whistled to give out tickets.
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Finding Acting: A Big Change He began acting as Rajinikanth became more and more into it. He didn't want to go to the Madras Film Institute at first because his family was facing money troubles, but a buddy who spotted his skill told him to. At first, it was challenging for him because he didn't speak Tamil properly, but he constantly tried hard. At this point, fate stepped in in the form of famed director K. Balachander, who was fascinated in Rajinikanth's raw might. Balachander told him to learn Tamil and was sure that he would become a big star one day. Rajinikanth worked harder to get better at his career and be more active in the company because of this help.
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The Bad Guy Who Took Over the Show Early in His Career Apoorva Raagangal was Rajinikanth's first movie in 1975. Even in minor places, he became famous quite rapidly. He portrayed bad guys and minor roles in movies like Moondru Mudichu and Avargal, yet you couldn't help but notice him. His unusual swagger, expressive body language, and weird way of acting on TV made him stand out in every scenario. People who watched movies and made them started to notice that he had a strange charm that went beyond just playing bad men.
Be the major character of the change Filmmakers started offering Rajinikanth prominent roles that showed off how good he was at acting as they saw how adaptable he was. People liked him because of movies like Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri. People saw Amitabh Bachchan in a different light after the stylish 1980 version of Don named Billa. He changed what it meant to be a "mass hero" with his attractive looks, confident temperament, and effortless style. This was the genuine start of his time as a star.
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The 1980s and 1990s were the "Superstar Era." In the 1980s and 1990s, Rajinikanth became a major star due of the many well-known parts he played. He was able to combine action, emotion, and style in a way that few others could in movies like Murattu Kaalai, Padikkadavan, Thalapathi, Annamalai, and the cult classic Baashha. With each new movie, he became more than just an actor; he became a symbol of hope for admirers of all ages and from all over the world. He changed from being a star to a loyal admirer.
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What Makes Him Successful Acting alone can't explain why Rajinikanth is so well-known. People could tell who he was right away because he was so personable, looked so different on film, and dressed so well. He was quite hard on himself when it came to his efforts behind the scenes. He always got to work on time, treated everyone with respect, and tried hard to get better. On TV, he looked larger than life, but in real life, he was down-to-earth and appreciated simple things and spirituality. People liked him because he was humble, and he was famous for a long time because he could go from being a bad guy to a good guy to a world star.
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Things That Made His Trip Hard Rajinikanth had to cope with a lot of challenges in his profession that made him quite angry. He was born impoverished, had trouble with language issues when he first started acting, and had to work hard to avoid being typecast as a terrible guy. Later, he had health problems and a lot of stress from the public, especially when rumors arose that he was going to run for office. But he always came back stronger, proving that setbacks could only slow him down, not stop him.
![Be the major character of the change Filmmakers started offering Rajinikanth prominent roles that showed off how good he was at acting as they saw how adaptable he was. People liked him because of movies like Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri. People saw Amitabh Bachchan in a different light after the stylish 1980 version of Don named Billa. He changed what it meant to be a "mass hero" with his attractive looks, confident temperament, and effortless style. This was the genuine start of his time as a star.](https://images.moneycontrol.com/static-mcnews/2025/11/20251120090636_Rajini.jpg "Be the major character of the change Filmmakers started offering Rajinikanth prominent roles that showed off how good he was at acting as they saw how adaptable he was. People liked him because of movies like Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri. People saw Amitabh Bachchan in a different light after the stylish 1980 version of Don named Billa. He changed what it meant to be a "mass hero" with his attractive looks, confident temperament, and effortless style. This was the genuine start of his time as a star.")
![The 1980s and 1990s were the "Superstar Era." In the 1980s and 1990s, Rajinikanth became a major star due of the many well-known parts he played. He was able to combine action, emotion, and style in a way that few others could in movies like Murattu Kaalai, Padikkadavan, Thalapathi, Annamalai, and the cult classic Baashha. With each new movie, he became more than just an actor; he became a symbol of hope for admirers of all ages and from all over the world. He changed from being a star to a loyal admirer.](https://images.moneycontrol.com/static-mcnews/2025/11/20251120090450_Aamir-Khan-with-Rajinikanth.jpg "The 1980s and 1990s were the "Superstar Era." In the 1980s and 1990s, Rajinikanth became a major star due of the many well-known parts he played. He was able to combine action, emotion, and style in a way that few others could in movies like Murattu Kaalai, Padikkadavan, Thalapathi, Annamalai, and the cult classic Baashha. With each new movie, he became more than just an actor; he became a symbol of hope for admirers of all ages and from all over the world. He changed from being a star to a loyal admirer.")
