Biography: Rajinikanth (born Shivaji Rao Gaikwad; 12 December 1950) is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his acting debut through the National Film Award-winning Tamil film Apoorva Raagangal (1975), directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor. While working in other regional film industries of India, Rajinikanth has also appeared in the cinemas of other nations, including that of the United States.
Born and raised in the Indian city of Bangalore, Rajinikanth struggled with an impoverished lifestyle during his childhood. He began acting in plays while working in the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation as a bus conductor. He came to Madras in 1973 and got admitted into the Madras Film Institute to pursue a diploma in acting. After a brief phase of portraying antagonistic characters in Tamil films, Rajinikanth gradually rose to become an established actor. Since then, he continues to hold a matinee idol status in the popular culture of India. His mannerisms and stylised delivery of dialogue in films contribute to his mass popularity and appeal. After being paid 260 million (US$4.2 million) for his role in Sivaji (2007), he became the highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan.
As of 2013, he has won six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards—four Best Actor Awards and two Special Awards for Best Actor—and a Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award. He is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour. In addition to acting, Rajinikanth has also worked as a producer and screenwriter. Apart from his film career, he is also a philanthropist, spiritualist and serves as an influence in the Dravidian politics. He married Latha Rangachari, whom he met in an interview in 1981 and has two children with her.
Early life
Rajinikanth was born on 12 December 1950, into a Marathi family in the Indian city of Bangalore, Mysore State, which is now a part of Karnataka. He was named Shivaji Rao Gaikwad after Chhatrapati Shivaji, a Maratha warrior, and was brought up speaking Marathi and Kannada. Rajinikanth's ancestors hailed from a village called Mavdi Kade Pathar which now belongs to the Purandar taluka of the present-day Pune district, Maharashtra. Being the youngest of four siblings in a family consisting of two brothers and a sister, his father Ramoji Rao Gaikwad was a police constable. After his father's retirement from work in 1956, the family moved to the suburb of Hanumanthanagar and built a house there. At the age of six, Rajinikanth was enrolled at the "Gavipuram Government Kannada Model Primary School" where he had his primary education.
As a child, he was studious and "mischievous" with a great interest in cricket, football and basketball. It was during this time his brother enrolled him at the Ramakrishna Math, a Hindu monastery set up by Ramakrishna Mission. In the math, he was taught Vedas, tradition and history which eventually instilled a sense of spirituality in him. In addition to spiritual lessons, he also began acting in plays at the math. His aspiration towards theatre grew at the math and was once given an opportunity to enact the role of Ekalavya's friend from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. His performance in the play received praise from the audience and Kannada poet D. R. Bendre in particular. By the time when he was eleven years, he lost his mother.
After sixth grade, Rajinikanth was enrolled at the Acharya Pathasala Public School and studied there till completion of his pre-university course. During his schooling at the Acharya Pathasala, he spent a lot of time acting in plays. In one such occasion, he performed the role of the villainous Duryodhana in the play Kurukshetra. Upon completion of his school education, Rajinikanth continued to perform various jobs in the cities of Bangalore and Madras, including that of a coolie and carpenter, and finally ended up being recruited in the Bangalore Transport Service (BTS) as a bus conductor. He began to take part in stage plays after Kannada playwright Topi Muniappa offered him a chance to act in one of his mythological plays. During the time, he came across an advertisement issued by the newly-formed Madras Film Institute which offered acting courses. Though his family was not fully supportive of his decision to join the institute, his friend and co-worker Raj Bahadur motivated him to join the institute and financially supported him during this phase. During his stay at the institute, he was performing in a stage play and got noticed by Tamil film director K. Balachander. The director advised him to learn to speak Tamil, a recommendation that Rajinikanth quickly followed.

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