Chennai, Aug 14 (PTI) Firecrackers, drums, sweets, confetti, cake, milk and so on. Rajinikanth fans on Thursday went all out in their celebration of the 50th anniversary of their favourite superstar and the arrival of his new movie “Coolie”.
Rajinikanth debuted with K Balachander’s Tamil movie “Apoorva Raagangal”, which released on August 15, 1975. The film also starred Kamal Haasan, Sunddarrajan, Srividya and Jayasudha.
“Marking half a century of cinematic brilliance, my dear friend Rajinikanth celebrates 50 years in cinema today. Crowds, mostly ardent fans of the star, swelled across cinema theatres to catch the first glimpse of Rajinikanth in his new avatar of a coolie who takes on bad guys in his quintessential style in the Lokesh Kanagraj directorial.
The crowd outside Chennai’s Rohini theatres erupted in joy as they welcomed the new movie, showering the venue with colourful confetti and breaking into energetic dances to the rhythmic beats of the dhol, turning the atmosphere into a festival.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin reportedly watched a special screening of the movie, produced by Sun Pictures on Wednesday.
“Honourable Chief Minister @CMOTamilNadu sir, thank you so much for your wishes and love for #Coolie sir,” Kanagaraj said in a social media message.
Actors Dhanush and Sivakarthikeyan were among the Tamil stars to watch the film on its release day here.
After catching the first-day-first-show of the movie, a fan said, “If Thalaivar comes on screen, it is enough… Lokesh Kanagaraj has directed well. Nagarjuna has performed tremendously.” Another die-hard fan said, “The movie was great, especially the climax scenes. There is no lag in the film. The music and songs were also nice, Anirudh as usual has given his best.” In Thanjavur, large crowds gathered outside Vijaya Theatre and eight other cinemas. Fans also took out a procession, chanting “Long live Rajinikanth.” Fans performed rituals to honour the superstar’s cutout — pouring milk over it, lighting lamps, breaking coconuts, and setting off firecrackers. A cake was also cut to mark Rajinikanth’s 50 years in cinema.
Men and women alike joined in the festivities, which included offering prayers to the towering cutout of the superstar and distributing sweets.
Similar scenes unfolded in Karnataka, where in the state capital Bengaluru, fans greeted Rajinikanth’s new movie by rallying outside Mukunda Theatre for the first-day, first-show.
From the early hours, the atmosphere was electric — Thalaivar banners fluttered, paper showers filled the morning sky, band sets played loud and proud, and jubilant crowds hailed him as their one and only superstar.
A fan said, “This is like the most awaited movie. More than Tamil Nadu, Rajini fans in Bengaluru are excited on just another level. This movie will have a blockbuster opening of all time.” “I’ve been a Thalaivar fan for 30 years, since I was in school. I went to all the theatres to put up banners, and now I’m here to watch the show,” said a cinegoer.
One fan said, “I’m a hardcore Rajini fan. My age is 50, the same as Thalaivar’s experience. I live for Thalaivar Rajini, he’s my role model. He’s the only superstar, and for someone to surpass him, another superstar would have to be born.” Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj, who worked with Rajinikanth for his 2019 hit “Petta”, was among those who watched “Coolie” in the morning.
“It is always a pleasure to watch Rajini sir on screen,” he told PTI.
“Coolie” marks Rajinikanth’s first collaboration with Kanagaraj, the eccentric director behind hits such as Karthi’s “Kaithi”, Vijay’s “Master” and “Leo”, and Kamal Haasan’s “Vikram”.
It features Rajinikanth in the titular role of a coolie who stands up to a corrupt syndicate that exploits and abuses his former colleagues in a port town.
The star-studded cast also includes Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj with Nagarjuna as antagonist and Bollywood star Aamir Khan in a special appearance.
“Coolie” is Rajinikanth’s 171st film as a lead actor and releases 50 years after “Apoorva Raagangal”.
In the 1975 film, which released on Independence Day on August 15, Rajinikanth had a minor appearance alongside Kamal Haasan, Sundarrajan, Srividya and Jayasudha.
Born as Shivaji Rao Gaikwad on December 12, 1950, in Bengaluru, Rajinikanth worked as a bus conductor before pursuing a course in acting at the Madras Film Institute.
In Chennai, he was spotted by Balachander who decided to cast him in “Apoorva Raagangal”.
In his early years, Rajinikanth played mostly negative or supporting characters, as seen in “Moondru Mudichu” (1976), “Avargal” (1977), and “16 Vayathinile” (1977).
He transformed into a mass hero in the 1980s, starting with “Billa”, a remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s “Don”. The movie became a game-changer, cementing his stylish on-screen persona. It was followed by hits like “Murattu Kaalai” (1980), “Thillu Mullu” (1981), “Moondru Mugam” (1982), “Paayum Puli” (1983), and “Nallavanukku Nallavan” (1984).
He also acted in Hindi films such as “Andhaa Kaanoon” (1983), “Giraftaar” (1985), “Chaalbaaz” (1989), “Hum” (1991), and “Bulandi” (2000), bringing him pan-India appeal.
After a brief hiatus post 2002’s “Baba”, which performed abysmally at the ticket window, Rajinikanth made a triumphant return with 2005’s “Chandramukhi”.
In 2007, he starred in Shankar’s “Sivaji” which set new box-office records and reportedly made Rajinikanth the highest-paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan. He reunited with Shankar for 2010’s “Enthiran”, which saw him playing the double role of scientist Vaseegaran and his robot creation Chitti.
In the 2010s, he starred in movies such as “Lingaa”, “Kabali”, “Kaala” and “Petta”.
His 2023 film “Jailer” was a major box office hit, earning over Rs 600 crore worldwide. Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the action-comedy showcased a more restrained yet powerful performance, appealing to both younger audiences and long-time fans.
In his career of five decades, Rajinikanth has been honoured with numerous awards, including the Padma Bhushan (2000), Padma Vibhushan (2016), and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2019). PTI RB SA NM RB BK BK
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