Superstar Rajinikanth, popularly known as ‘Thalaiva’ among his massive fan following, is celebrating his 73rd birthday today. The actor has worked in around 169 films in his career spanning over five decades and continues to deliver blockbusters. A true cinema icon, Rajinikanth is regarded as one of the most successful and loved actors in the history of Indian films. An interesting fact about this legendary actor is that he once contemplated quitting acting. Here’s everything to know about the incident…
In 1978, the superstar starred in 20+ films across three regional languages- Telugu, Kannada and Tamil. As published in Republic, Rajinikanth dubbed for his voice for all of the movies he did that year and worked tirelessly. He later fell ill and experienced a nervous breakdown. Further actress Sripriya helped the superstar regain his health and K Balachander convinced him to continue in the industry as Rajinikanth contemplated quitting films to lead a normal life. To beat work stress, K Balachander advised Rajinikanth to work with established banners, as per reports.
Rajinikanth was honored with Padma Bhushan in 2000 by the Government of India. In 2016, he was honored with Padma Vibhushan, India’s third and second highest civilian honors. In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contributions to Indian cinema. Here’s wishing a very Happy Birthday to Superstar Rajinikanth!