Rajinikanth – Caught in a Conundrum

It was a triple celebration for fans of Superstar Rajinikanth this weekend that marked three momentous events: Rajinikanth’s 50^th year in the film industry (completed on 15 August this year), his 75^th birthday and the re-release of his iconic own production, Padayappa.

For Rajinikanth, it was a painfully slow climb to stardom and then superstardom and it is understandable if current movie fans know only the post-Muthu image of him. The cigarette flip, snappy lines, stylish walk and larger-than-life screen presence has been so soaked in his screen image that even determined efforts to change this image had no effect on this public image.

Films like Baba, Kabali, Vettaiyan and – to a lesser extent – films like Kaala, Petta, Darbar and Jailer all attempted to add dimension to his screen image, but did not quite succeed. Even his role in a masala film like Thalapathi extended his normal acting performance.

Shankar’s Sivaji, Endhiran and 2.0 blatantly tried to capitalise on his 80s image but even those efforts did not have the intended effect.

With Coolie failing to live up to expectations, there was renewed talk that Rajinikanth should retire from acting and that his continued presence in lead roles, despite his age and poor health, was threatening to overshadow the immense success he has had at the box-office. His films hold number 1 and number 2 spots in the Top grossing Tamil films of all time, with 2.0 and Jailer holding those spots respectively. He has a total of 8 films in the Top 20 grossers – more than any other actor.

Unfortunately, we are now in a time when box-office numbers take precedence over how good a film is. Much less, is the value placed on good acting performances, unusual scripts and subjects and a willingness to experiment with characterisation. In this climate, it is far too risky for any director (or producer) to risk casting him in a role that goes beyond the expectations of his fans.

A good example of this was the colossal failure of Baba – a film that Rajinikanth had banked on to set the box-office on fire. He had even planned a sequel to this semi-autobiographical movie. It was an early signal that Rajinikanth’s image had outgrown Rajinikanth the actor.

No director will dare to write a script like Johnny or Mullum Malarum now. No director will even try to write scripts like Nallavanukku Nallavan, Aaarilirunthu Arupathuvarai or Yengeyo Keta Kural.

It is equally unlikely that anyone would write a script like Thillu Mullu now. These were the films that gave audiences a glimpse into Rajinikanth, the outstanding actor.

These are the films that ignored his larger-than-life image and challenged his acting skills. Those who have seen his performance in his debut film, Apoorva Raaganagal would attest to his powerful screen presence and potent expressions.

None of Rajinikanth’s later films challenge his acting skills like those films did – and the blame for this lies squarely on most of his fans. They want to see the larger-than-life Rajinikanth. They want to see him beat 20 men single-handedly even if that defies credibility. They want to see him in his exaggerated walk and his special tricks.

Meanwhile, the real fans of Rajinikanth want to see this actor grow. We want to see him exhibit new dimensions to his acting – but it is ironic that this growth will be denied by the people who made Rajinikanth a superstar – his fans.

NOTE: If you did not read the controversial Sigaram article on the early years of Rajinikanth, a link appears below.