Rajinikanth Turns 76 on December 12, and the Bus Conductor Is Still the Biggest Star in Tamil Cinema

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Rajinikanth turns 76 on December 12, and he is still doing something very few stars manage, which is carrying films as a headliner. He was born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad in 1950, worked as a bus conductor in Bengaluru, and entered the film world after studying at the Madras Film Institute. His mentor was the director K. Balachander, who gave him his first role in Apoorva Raagangal in 1975.

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The early films were small, villainous parts, and then the audience started to follow him. By the late 1970s and the 1980s he was a lead, and Billa in 1980 was a big hit. His style, with the quick cigarette flip, the sunglasses and the swagger, was something the audience could imitate, and it became a language of its own.

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Films like Baashha in 1995, Muthu and Padayappa kept the momentum going, and Enthiran in 2010 showed he could lead a big visual-effects spectacle. He received the Padma Bhushan in 2000, the Padma Vibhushan in 2016, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019.

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His recent run has been strong. Jailer in 2023 was a major hit, and Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, followed in 2025. Whatever people think of any single film, a Rajinikanth release is still treated as an event in Tamil Nadu, and fans put up cutouts and celebrate on the first day.

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Which Rajinikanth film is your favourite? I will always say Baashha, because the flashback structure is still such a great piece of storytelling.