The Boss

Late Saturday evening tired of grading my students’ exam papers, I decided to take a break and started chit chatting with my friend who was also TA-ing the same course with me. We chatted for sometime before she showed me a mail forwarded from one of her friends mocking Rajinikanth. Being an ardent fan of Thalai like so many fellow Tamils, I was a little hurt and start defending him as though my life depended on it.

A man born and taken by life through the roads of Bangalore in a government bus and then by the hands of fate brought to Chennai, has immortalized his name in the hearts of every person who speaks Tamil. Today is Sivaji Rao Gaekwad’s birthday.

The year 2007 is yet another year in which history was rewritten by the Rajinikanth (read Sivaji) .I just cannot help but glorify his Superstar status by pointing to the fact his movie collect nearly the same amount as all other movies of a year put together.

He definitely is not the best actor around. Most of his movies do not have any social messages. His screen presence and his charisma is just mind blowing. He simply outpaces all his fellow colleagues and leaves them gasping for breath. It’s his charisma that has made him attain a cult status in Tamil Nadu and among the Tamils living all over the world.

Can u believe that a ticket manager of a theatre in Bombay was called out by some fans because the booking for a Tamil Movie was not running on time? Can u imagine ticket rolls in North India being replaced in a matter of minutes when booking opens for a Tamil movie? This was the hype which was generated when Thalai’s Sivaji was released.

National News channels shamelessly jostling with each other, trying to outdo each other by bringing fresh stories about Sivaji. The presidential election which was already a joke (considering how Madame Prez was chosen by her own party by means of elimination) had taken a back seat. Sivaji is still running in a couple of theatres in the US. All this is coz of one man. Enga Superstar.

It’s just a thrill watching a Rajini movie in Madras. The feeling can never be described in words. Those towering cutouts, the Milk abhishegam and the pooja that is done preceding to the first show on the first day in every theatre where his movie releases gives you a festive spirit. You get inside fighting your way through the crowds .The theatre erupts when the Rajini’s name with the Superstar animation comes. We go crazy and get hysterical when Rajini gives us magnetic smile in his intro scene. There is no way you can hear the dialogues. You can only hear those high pitched cries of ‘Thalaiva’ when he opens his mouth for delivering those crisp one liners. In some theatres the songs are repeated just for the sake of the fans. I tried explaining this to my friends who have not seen his movies. They are scandalized and think that we are fools idolizing him.

Believe me watch one Rajini movie first day in a theatre in Tamil Nadu and it will be an experience you will never forget. That man’s charisma, his style, on screen persona is just magnetic. Rajini will dominate the movie from start to finish in a manner that only he can to leave you asking for more. You won’t know what struck you.

Eagerly waiting for your next movie…

Happy B’day Thalai