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- Dubai 04:26 05:44 12:20 15:47 18:50 20:08
If the ancient Mayan calculations are spot on, then one year from today, the world will cease to exist.
But if you happen to be a fan, then any doomsday scenario would probably be just an aftershock of Superstar Rajinikanth blowing out his birthday candles on 12/12/12.
The Tamilian actor’s larger than life persona is such that many of his ‘followers’ really do believe that this one-man army is the answer to mankind’s salvation.
But while we wait for another year until Rajinikanth reaches the predicted ill-fated date, fans are celebrating his birthday world over as he turns 62 today.
With at least 150 movies to his credit and India’s highest civilian order of the Padma Bhushan on his mantle, the superstar has wowed millions with his stylised actions that have prompted many a fan to declare today as “World Style Day” in Rajinikanth’s honour.
Over the span of his career, India’s answer to Chuck Norris has managed to stop a speeding bullet with his bare hands, out-run a bullet train, somersaulted seven times through the air to land on his feet, climbed walls with his bare hands, stopped a dagger with his bare teeth and lit a cigarette by shooting it in the air.
If others attempted such stunts, they would have been laughed out of the cinematic spotlight, but in the case of Rajnikanth, another temple is erected in his honour.
The actor has been keeping a low profile of late since facing health-related problems during the shooting of his upcoming movie “Rana”, earlier this year. However, he still took time out to perform a cameo in Shah Rukh Khan’s “Ra.One”, where he reprised his character from the 2010 sci-fi film, “Enthiran” (Robot).
Quiz fans over Rajinikanth’s cult status in Indian cinema and said one such follower, Naveen Kumar: “Thalaivar (as Rajinikanth is lovingly called) simply lights up the screen when he enters a frame. Fans who love him don’t expect sense and sensibility from his films; they want wholesome entertainment that can sometimes even defy logic. And Thalaivar provides that in every single film and every single scene.”
Preeti Anand, a 40-year-old fan of the superstar said: “For me, Rajini sir’s persona goes beyond the films. He’s a hero in the true sense of the word who, unlike his contemporaries, doesn’t resort to cheap gimmicks of getting into a bathtub to sell a bar of soap or endorse skin whitening creams to make a quick buck.
“He keeps a low profile and that demands respect from those who are humbled to know him.”
Even fans of Rajinikanth from the glam world have good things to say, with recently, designer Rina Dhaka being quoted in the Deccan Chronicle as saying: “He does not have to wear expensive brands because brand Rajini is worth more than clothes or accessories.”
The Emirates 24|7 team takes this opportunity to pick three of the best scenes from the superstar’s heydays, wishing Rajinikanth a very happy birthday.
A man flies through the air, crashing through a car’s windshield and smashes through the window in the back. All we see first is a lone shoe, could it be a Nike we wonder? Possible an Adidas, which may have inspired its famous tagline: Impossible is Nothing”.
But clearly, impossible is not a word that exists in the dictionary of the man whose foot is encased in that trainer. Did we mention he is Superstar Rajinikanth?
A chewing gum flies plops faithfully into his mouth, a mini cyclone is conjured by the mere twirling of his toe and goons fly through the air performing somersaults that would make a trapeze artiste proud.
Which movie is this? Who cares. This is Rajinikanth at his best!
The film is Sivaji – The Boss, the premise is a climax, the weapons of choice are Samurai swords and battleaxes. Oh boy! This is going to get ugly very fast.
With billions of rupees raining down from the sky, an angered Rajinikanth leaps, flies, dances and spins in a circle while airborne as he takes out baddie after baddie with his action adventure on a rooftop.
Did we mention its raining billions? Indeed, in his bald eagle avatar and a trenchcoat to boot, Rajni Sir takes on a lungi-clad head honcho while hanging upside down from a metal beam, wielding battleaxes and leaving dead bodies in his wake.
Seeing is believing we tell you.
A dagger goes flying through the air and takes out a streetlamp. The municipality commission would not be pleased, but the damsel in distress most certainly is in “Basha”.
Superstar Rajinikanth is angry and he means serious business as bodies fly and blood is spilled while the damsel squeals in glee or is it despair; we still haven’t quite figured it out. But this is the superstar at his raw best.
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