Birthday wishes pour in as superstar Rajinikanth turns 71, the extraordinary ‘Thalaivar’

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As superstar Rajinikanth turned 71 on Sunday, several Indian film celebrities shared their birthday wishes for the actor and commemorated the special occasion in the extraordinary life of the icon and real ‘Thalaivar.’

Actor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn shared a photo of the legendary star on his Instagram Stories and along with it wrote, “Happy birthday. Regards, Ajay Devgn.”

Rakul Preet Singh also shared Rajinikanth’s photo on her Insta stories and penned a heartfelt wish for him. The note read, “Happy Birthday Rajinikanth Sir! Sir, you are an inspiration to all! Wishing you all the love, light and happiness! May you have a happy, healthy year ahead!”

Madhuri Dixit took a trip down her memory lane and dug out a BTS picture from the 1987 film ‘Uttar Dakshin’. In the picture, Rajinikanth, Madhuri and Jackie Shroff could be seen indulging in a conversation. “Wishing the Thalaiva @rajinikanth sir a very happy birthday. You are one of the biggest stars I have met and yet an extremely humble person. May you live a long and happy life ahead!” she wrote.

Malayalam star Mammootty shared a photo from their film, ‘Thalapathy’, to wish Rajinikanth. He wrote, “Wishing you a very happy birthday dear @rajinikanth. Stay healthy and blessed as always. #HBDSuperstarRajinikanth.”

Calling Rajinikanth an “epitome of humility,” Mohanlal tweeted, “Happiest birthday wishes dearest @rajinikanth sir.. You are the epitome of humility. Prayers for your good health and happiness always.”

Mahesh Babu tweeted, “To the epitome of style & charisma.. Wishing you a very happy birthday @rajinikanth sir! Great health and happiness always.”

Actor-producer Sivakarthikeyan called Rajinikanth his inspiration. “Happy birthday to my inspiration super star @rajinikanth sir. Always got very few seconds to interact with you but every second was special and it gave me the extra energy to work harder. Love you sir.” he tweeted.

Hansika Motwani wished Rajinikanth by sharing a picture with him and wrote, “Happy birthday, @rajinikanth sir. wishing you a happy and healthy life. #Thalaivar #HBDSuperstarRajinikanth”

Ram Charan also wished the megastar by tweeting “Wishing our very own superstar @rajinikanth garu a very happy birthday! Your style and its impact will always inspire generations to come!!”

Meanwhile. on the work front, Rajinikanth will soon reportedly start working on his 169th film, which will be directed by Desingh Periyasamy.

To say Rajinikanth is an actor, would be an understatement. In the eyes of his fans, he is an icon, an inspiration, one of his kind — he’s ‘Thalaiva’ (the leader).

Fans root for him, celebrate him, worship him and whatnot. So on the 71st birthday of the prestigious 51st Dadasaheb Phalke awardee, here’s a look at some of the things about Rajinikanth that raise him to the status of the beloved ‘Thalaiva’ of the masses. 1. Acting style

Rajinikanth’s acting skillset is a complete package. Known for his panache, exciting stunts and mind-boggling action, Rajinikanth can effortlessly play any kind of role — whether it’s a don, a common man, or a robot.

His powerful, action sequences, especially wherein he takes on the bigger evils in society, makes even the audience feel empowered.

He’s no behind in comedy and can effortlessly ace being the funny, cool guy. His dialogue delivery and punchlines, along with his charismatic personality, are strong enough to leave an everlasting impact on the audience.
2. Relatable and Inspiring

From working as a bus conductor to striving hard to making it to the top, Rajinikanth’s journey and success story are extremely inspirational.

He began his professional life by doing some odd jobs including that of a carpenter and a coolie. Later, he got a job with the Bangalore Transport Service as a conductor in 1973.
While working as a bus conductor, Rajinikanth came across an advertisement in a newspaper about acting classes at Madras Film Institute.

His family was against the idea, but his friend and co-worker Raj Bahadur encouraged him to join acting classes and even financed his time at the Madras Film Institute.

Even while choosing characters, Rajinikanth has often taken up roles that showed the struggles of the ordinary man, who rose to the occasion against all odds. That made him both relatable and inspiring.

Coming to his off-screen persona, he is the most humble gentleman. He isn’t pretentious about what he looks like, choosing instead to be simple and humble in his public appearances.

3. Box office

By the 1990s, Rajinikanth established himself as a commercial entertainer. Almost all the films released during this period were highly successful at the box office.
His track record at the worldwide box office is remarkable. Not many know that it is Rajinikanth who began the 100-crore club in the Indian film industry.
His 2007 film ‘Sivaji’ was a blockbuster and reportedly the first Indian film to enter the 100-crore club. The science-fiction drama ‘Enthiran’ took six days to enter the 100 crore club in 2010.
Rajinikanth’s latest Tamil film ‘Annaatthe’, despite opening to mixed response, has gone on to make 100 crores worldwide in just three days since its release.

4. The Generous Superstar

While Rajinikanth is one of the highest-paid actors in the country, he is also among the top ones who believe in charity and provide for the people in times of need and distress.
In May 2021, Rajinikanth donated Rs 50 lakh towards Tamil Nadu CM’s Covid-19 relief fund.
In March 2020, the Tamil superstar donated Rs 50 lakhs to the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) workers, who were impacted by the suspension of film shootings due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In June 2017, the actor pledged Rs 1 crore for inter-linking rivers, to take steps to facilitate the linking of peninsular rivers like Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Palaru, and Cauvery.

In December 2015, he stepped forward to help the rain-hit victims of Tamil Nadu. He had donated Rs 10 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.

The list of his philanthropic deeds goes on.

Not restricted to Tamil cinema, Rajinikanth has made his mark in the Indian film industry as a whole. While a majority of his body of work might be in Tamil, he still found a way to transcend boundaries in a way only Thalaiva could.

He has reinvented himself and stayed relevant over the years. He has not let his age affect the charm with which he always held his audience.

This and a lot more things are what makes Rajinikanth extraordinary.