Rajinikanth, born Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, is one of the most legendary and celebrated actors in Indian cinema. He is also a philanthropist and a cultural icon. Known for his unique acting style, larger-than-life screen presence, and unmatched fan following, he has transcended the definition of stardom.
Before becoming a star, he worked as a bus conductor with Bangalore Transport Service (BTS), a carpenter, and a coolie. He caught the attention of K Balanchander during a drama in the film institute who introduced him to Tamil cinema with his film Apoorva Raagnagal. From there, there was no turning back for the actor. His major cting credits include Mullum Malarum, 16 Vayathinile, Billa, Padayappa, Sivaji, Jailer, Petta, 2.0, Darbar, Kaala, Enthiran, Chandramukhi, Muthu, Baashha, Annamalai, and Thalapathi, among many others. So, who is Rajinikanth? Here’s everything you need to know about the superstar.
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Rajinikanth Biography
Rajinikanth was born on the 12th of December 1950, in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He is 74 years old as of 2025.
| Birth Name | Shivaji Rao Gaekwad |
| Nickname | Rajini, Superstar, Thalaivar |
| Date of Birth | 12 December 1950 |
| Place of Birth | Bangalore, Mysore State (now Karnataka), India |
| Age | 74 |
| Sun Sign | Sagittarius |
| Profession | Actor, Film Producer, Writer |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Ethnicity | Marathi |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Latha Rangachari |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
Family and Education
Rajinikanth is the youngest of four children to Jijabai and Ramoji Rao Gaekwad, who worked as a police constable. He has three siblings Satyanarayana Rao, Nageshwara Rao, and Aswath Balubhai. His parents named him after the Maratha Empire king Shivaji.
Rajini spent his early life in Bangalore where he attended Government Kannada Model Primary School in Gavipuram, Bengaluru until sixth grade and completed his pre-university course at the Acharya Pathasala Public School. In addition to formal education, he also received spiritual lessons at the Ramakrishna Math, a Hindu monastery set up by the Ramakrishna Mission. There he learned Vedas, tradition, and history, as well as actively involved in performing arts that would later inspire him into acting.
After spending years doing odd jobs, he finally decided to chase his dreams and moved to Chennai to try his luck in acting. He was alumni of the prestigious Madras Film Institute in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where he studied acting and drama.
Rajinikanth Wife
Rajinikanth first met Latha Rangachari, who was a student then, during an interview and they began dating soon after. They got married on February 26, 1981, in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. The couple together has two daughters named Aishwarya Rajinikanth and Soundarya Rajinikanth.
He had a brief relationship with actress and glamour queen Silk Smitha in the past. He has also dated a medical student named Nirmala while working as a bus conductor in Bangalore.
Physical Statistics
| Height | Feet – 5 feet 8 inches Centimeters – 173 cm Meters – 1.73 m |
| Weight | Kilograms – 73 kg Pounds – 161 lbs |
| Body Build | Average |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Hair Color | White |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Shoe Size | 9 (US) |
| Distinctive Features | Style Icon Spiritual Person |
Career Overview
Rajinikanth made his acting debut in 1975 with the Tamil film Apoorva Raagangal, directed by K. Balachander. Initially cast in negative and supporting roles, he impressed audiences with his screen presence and style. Films like Moondru Mudichu, 16 Vayathinile, and Bhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri marked his rise as a serious actor.
Rise to Stardom
In the late 70s and early 80s, Rajinikanth transitioned into lead roles with films such as Billa (1980), Murattu Kaalai (1980), and Thillu Mullu (1981). He developed his signature mannerisms – stylish flips, quick dialogue delivery, and heroic swagger – which became his trademark.
Pan-India and Global Fame
Rajinikanth’s films started gaining massive appeal beyond Tamil Nadu. Movies like Muthu (1995), which became a major hit in Japan, Baasha (1995), and Padayappa (1999), and (2005) further solidified his status as a pan-Indian superstar.
In 2005, he starred alongside Prabhu, Jyothika, Vadivelu, and Nayanthara in Chandramukhi, a remake of the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu, directed by P Vasu. It receved critically acclaim and emergaed as a highly successful film at the box office and became the longest running Tamil film.
In 2007, he starred in Sivaji: The Boss, opposite Shriya Saran and directed by Shankar, which became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of that time. He followed it with Enthiran (2010) opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and 2.0 (2018), India’s most expensive film at the time, alongside Amy Jackson and Akshay Kumar.
In recent years, Rajinikanth has starred in commercially successful films like Kabali (2016), Kaala (2018), Petta (2019), Darbar (2020), Annaatthe (2021), Jailer (2023), Vettaiyan (2024), Coolie (2025), and Jailer 2 (2026).
Awards
Kalaimamani, 1984 – Government of Tamil Nadu
MGR Award, 1989 – Government of Tamil Nadu
Padma Bhusan, 2000 – Government of India
Raj Kapoor Award, 2007 – Government of Maharashtra
Indian Entertainer of the Year, 2007 – NDTV
Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Indian Cinema, 2007 – Vijay Awards
MGR-Sivaji Award, 2011 – Government of Tamil Nadu
Entertainer of the Decade, 2011 – NDTV
Most Stylish actor, 2011 – NDTV
The 25 Greatest Global Living Legends, 2013 – NDTV
Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year, 2014 – International Film Festival of India
Padma Vibhushan, 2016 – Government of India
Cinema Express Awards – 1984, 84, 88, 91, 92, 93, 95
Filmfans Association Awards – 1979, 82, 84, 85, 91, 92, 93, 95
Filmfare Awards South – 1984
South Screen Awards – 1995
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards – 1978, 82, 89, 95, 99, 2005, 2007
Vijay Awards – 2007, 09, 10, 14
Rajinikanth Net Worth
Rajinikanth is a popular icon in the entertainment industry and has an estimated net worth of US$100 million. He is one of the highest-paid Indian actors in the business and the most bankable star of the South Indian film industry. His movie 2.0, which is the sequel of the 2010 film Enthiran, is the most expensive movie in the history of Indian cinema.
Rajinikanth has a few collections of cars like Premier Padmini Fiat, Chevrolet Tavera, Toyota Innova, a Bently, and a Range Rover.
He lives with his family in a luxury house in Poes Garden, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The house boasts all features and amenities.
Favorite Things
- Actor – Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Sylvester Stallone
- Actress – Rekha, Hema Malini
- Musician – Ilayaraja
- Food – South Indian Cuisine
- Favorite Place – The Himalayas
- Sport – Cricket
- Politician – Lee Kuan, Former Prime Minister of Singapore
- Books – Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki and Amma Vanthal by T Janakiraman
Facts
Rajinikanth is a Maharashtrian by birth and proclaims himself as a Tamilian because of being in Tamil Nadu for more than four decades and was widely accepted by Tamils.
Despite having an interest in acting, the poverty of his family forced him to do odd jobs. His friend, Raj Bahadur, motivated and funded him to learn to act in Madras Film Institute.
K. Balachander gave him a small role in his film Apoorva Raagnagal after he found his acting skills, which marked his Tamil debut. They both worked in several films after that.
Rajinikanth was rumored to be romantically linked with several actresses before his marriage with Latha Rangachari.
He is an ardent devotee of Baba and occasionally flees for a pilgrimage to the Himalayas. He used to go to Hindu temples before the release of his films.
Bloodstone was his debut and only English film of all time during his career.
Rajini became the highest-paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan in 2007. He was paid Rs 26 crore for Sivaji.
He is the only Indian actor to be featured in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus, in a lesson titled From Bus Conductor to Superstar.
Known for simplicity and down to earth person, Rajinikanth never is late for shootings. He will not meet the visitors after 9 pm.
Rajinikanth has worked with all popular actresses, of which Sripriya is the only actress to have worked with him in more than 27 movies. Likewise, Meena is the only actress to have worked with him as a child artist and as a heroine.
Rajini is popularly known for his style quotient and fast delivery of dialogues. Many used to practice his style of tossing cigarettes, which was popular at that time. He no longer smokes or drinks.
Fans of Rajinikanth in Tamil Nadu have continuously speculated on his entry into politics, particularly to run for the Chief Minister of the state since 1996.
On December 31, 2017, he announced that he’ll plunge into politics and will face the 2021 elections with his own political party, contesting at all constituencies in Tamil Nadu. In 2021, he dropped his political ambitions and told the press that he has no plans to enter politcs.
On 25 October 2021, Rajinikanth received Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 67th National Film Awards presentation ceremony, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.