“The love my fans give me, it makes me very emotional, and sometimes I just don’t know how to give back the love,” – Superstar Rajinikanth.
Legendary Tamil film icon Rajinikanth turns 69 today, and we are celebrating by featuring one of his most recent interviews, conducted two weeks ago, by broadcasting network Doordarshan.
This 14 minute interview goes back to the days Shivaji Rao Gaekwad attended the Madras Film Institute to pursue a diploma in acting. “I didn’t even know Tamil then,” he says, as we are reminded that Rajinikanth’s mother tongue is Kannada.
“I picked up Tamil because K Balanchander told me to do so,” Thalaivar reveals, before reminiscing about the late director. “The turning point of my film journey was meeting K Balachander. He changed my life,”
“I wanted to become an actor. But I never imagined being a hero. Balachander led me to the Tamil film industry, and he had so much confidence in me,” he says. “He showed me something inside of me to me,” We aren’t sure if he knows this, but that is exactly what Thalaivar has done for every one of his fans.
“He showed me something special inside me,” – Thalaivar on k Balachander
We aren’t sure if he knows this, but that is exactly what Thalaivar has done for every one of his fans.
When asked about his humility that precedes him, Rajinikanth has this to say, “I am natural, and I’m just living my life as a normal person. I’m just being myself,”
He also discusses his humble beginnings, crediting his success to his parents first, before God. He also credits the film fraternity and of course, his fans.
Rajinikanth’s 50 years of cinematic experience is unparalleled, and there might never be another actor to reach the heights of fandom that he has. He coolly comments, “Everything is acting in life! Off camera too, it is all acting,”
Rajinikanth unabashedly admits that he is a director’s actor. But his style and mannerisms are completely his. “In the beginning, I made it a point to introduce some gimmicks. This was a norm for villains, but not for an actor. But it caught on. With every new film, I wanted to do something new,”
Thalaivar says, “I enjoy my profession, I enjoy acting. It isn’t a burden for me. there is no tension, there is only creativity,”
“I enjoy my profession, I enjoy acting. It isn’t a burden for me,” – Thalaivar
“The only way for me to return my fans love is by making more movies, and doing new things in the movies, that is the only way I know how,” And that is all we need, Thalaivar.
Watch Thalaivar’s full interview here.
