Shivaji Rao Gaikwad to Rajinikanth—A long road to Superstardom

Movies By South First Desk 12/12/2023 Read the article

Stars may come and perish, but none can match the swag of Superstar Rajinikanth. He is someone who defied the conventions of being a film star.

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As the veteran actor celebrated his 73rd birthday on 12 December, his fans switched to celebration mode on social media. Hashtags with his name and his movies kept trending.

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It was with Balachander’s directorial Anthuleni Katha that the Superstar was introduced to Telugu audiences in 1976.

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Initially frightening audiences with villainous roles, Rajinikanth, in 1977, acted in a total of 15 films. A majority of the films featured the Superstar in negative characters.

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Dhalapathy (1991), Narasimha (1991), Basha (1995), Muthu (1995), Pedarayudu (1995), and Arunachalam (1997) gained great popularity in Telugu as well.

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Back in those days, almost all his works were pan-South Indian films. Irrespective of region, all his films would get dubbed in Telugu

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Films like Chandramukhi (2005), Shivaji (2007), and Robot (2010) achieved widespread sensation further increasing Rajinikanth’s stature.

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In the film industry, garnering popularity requires more than just talent. Celebrities need to exhibit qualities in their personal lives that strike a chord with the audience.

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