Unarguably the biggest superstar in India, Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, better known by his screen name, Rajinikanth is an iconic Indian film actor who primarily works in the Tamil film industry. The superstar is referred to as 'Thalaiva' (meaning Boss or leader) - a title given to him by his fans who revere him as god,
After making his debut in K. Balanchander's Tamil drama film, Apoorva Raagangal in 1975, for a brief period the actor went on to portray anti-hero and antagonist characters in several films. His best role as a villain was in 'Kalyanaraman' starring Kamal Haasan and Sridevi Kapoor. For his immaculate contribution to the Indian cinema, the actor has been conferred with the coveted Padma Bhushan (2000) and Padma Vibhushan Awards (2016). In 2014, Rajinikanth was conferred with the 'Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year' award at the 45th International Film Festival of India. Apart from his film career, Rajinikanth is a spiritualist and an altruist.