What Makes Rajinikanth The Biggest Brand In South?

Rajinikanth fondly called “Thalaivar” by his fans is arguably the biggest star from south. A carrer spanning over 40 years, Rajini has created a brand for himself. After almost everyone writing him off after successive flops he made a comeback similar to the one in movies. The longevity of his carrer is something which no one can replicate. The way in which the brand “Rajinikanth” was sculpted is an interesting story itself. After being introduced as an “antagonist”, the “Rajini” kind of films graced the screens only after the release of “Baasha”. This served as a mould for style, humour, social principles and action sequences by he is defined today.

The Rajini formula left almost everyone spell bound. The mannerisms are still a trademark and even in the film industry many talk about “superstar” flipping a cigarette. Rajini in his earlier films either associated or supported the working class; from milkman to automan, Rajini portrayed it all. He sang songs in praise of them and won battles as one of them which made him a superstar; everyone found themselves in his characters and thus gained confidence.

Along with these movies came the songs or the monologues through which he put forward his principles. Apart from his films, his interviews also serve a huge purpose by helping one through tough times. These ideologies have kept his fans waiting for his much anticipated political entry, till date. Talking about politics and acting the opposition for Rajini has been Kamal Haasan. Much senior to Rajini in acting, Kamal Hassan and Rajini have been great friends despite the steady competition. Kamal Hassan made different kind of films and this gave both of them two separate thrones rather than fighting for one. When there is no steady competition and when it’s all success, it’s obvious that the actor is going to get all glory.

It’s not all roses as they say, his personal life had setbacks. After big success in the box office, Rajini fell for the trap. He signed a lot of movies and this took a toll on his body leaving him hospitalised. With previous films not going well either he found himself in a pit. The market took a steep turn, new stars entered the field and it seemed like the “brand” was collapsing. Rajini often says “I’m not like an elephant but a horse, I won’t take much time to get back to my feet” and he was right. Rajini fell down just to pick himself up. The loyal fan base of his stood by him and made theatres his “Pettai”, again.