Why Rajinikanth is much more than a stylish superstar

To most of the people outside of Tamil Nadu, Rajinikanth is simply a stylish actor who is known for his unique antics. His cigarette flicks, fast walk and punch lines come to mind. Even the young generation fans of the Thalaiva know him as a mass hero. But, this superstardom is just the tip of the iceberg. In truth, Rajinikanth is a prolific actor and one of the best performers Tamil cinema has ever seen. So here a few reasons why Rajinikanth is a legend on and off the screen

Villainous roles

The ‘Kaala’ actor started out predominantly playing negative roles. He did a line of films with a negative shade and was so good at it that filmmakers almost refused to let him experiment as a hero. But there are two films that come to mind when we think of his negative roles- ‘Moondru Mudichu’ and ‘Avargal’. Rajinikanth’s portrayal as the evil and twisted Prasath still remains one of the best negative performances in Tamil cinema. The famous ‘boat scene’ where Rajini shows his true colours is still celebrated to this day.

Coming to ‘Avargal’, the actor again displayed his talent as an actor as he first comes across as a good, supportive friend and then when the hapless heroine marries him, he shows his true sadistic nature. Only the superstar can deliver such gripping performances with ease.

Rajinikanth finally transitioned into more positive roles in 1978 with ‘Bairavi’, where his character of Mookaiyah was so well done that the term ‘Superstar’ was coined for him then and there.

He also displayed his emotional side with ‘Mullum Malarum’, where he played the role of Kali, a tough yet affectionate man who is devoted to his sister Valli. In this movie, Rajinikanth does not fail to move you as he struggles with life and its various challenges. It was this performance that director Pa Ranjith wanted to extract from him in ‘Kabali’ and in which he succeeded.

When it comes to comedy, it turns out that the actor is pretty impressive at tickling your funny bone too. Two films of his- ‘Ninanithale Inikkum’ and ‘Thillu Mullu’ are great examples. His role of Deepak in the former film, a kleptomaniac is absolutely hilarious as he steals on impulse and lands in trouble again and again.

Then coming to ‘Thillu Mullu’, it is a more conventional comedy film as he plays twin brothers Chandran and Indran in the film to fool his boss, but he is actually only one guy Chandran. It was a remake of Amol Palekar’s ‘Golmaal’, but thanks to Rajini, this remake managed to live up to the original.

This is the most well-known aspect of the actor. He has played as a brilliant action hero in many films that made him a hero of the masses. But the best one remains to be ‘Mundru Mugam’, where the Superstar plays a triple role. Out of the three, the portrayal of Alex Pandiyan, a super tough cop achieved legendary status over time. Many cop movies look up to the character to this day.

Another great movie is ‘Thalapathi’, where Rajini excels as Surya, a gangster with a heart of gold who cannot stand injustice. Of course, his list of commercial action flicks is never ending- ‘Billa’, ‘Baasha’, ‘Paayum Puli’ and many others.

The superstar has also done a few films which are so different that they cannot be put in any category. One of the most notable one of the lot is ‘Sri Raghavendra’, a biopic of sorts on the famous Hindu saint of the same name. Rajinikanth played the holy saint from youth to old age and received tremendous critical acclaim for his performance.

Another film that comes to mind is ‘Johnny’, where Rajini left everyone stunned with two contrasting characters, Johnny, a conman and Vidyasagar, a lonely barber with a dark side. The film plays with the idea of doppelgangers and was a movie ahead of its time.