Superstar Rajinikanth, will you or won’t you?

Superstar Rajinikanth turned 71 today. And he has spent nearly two-thirds of his life doing just one thing: entertaining his fans. And even at this age, he shows no sign of slowing down. He is still enthusiastic about going to work, putting on make-up, and transforming into characters that are often half his age.

Sometimes the 71-year-old Superstar gets it right. And at times, he doesn’t. But, what he doesn’t do is he doesn’t cede his hard-earned place in the world of cinema. There was a time when Rajinikanth was playing an extremely safe game. Say, he was too cautious. He knew the pulse of the audience that made him one of the biggest superstars of Indian cinema. And he knew what was expected of him and delivered it perfectly without a hitch. He also had a set of favourite filmmakers who understood the requirements of the core fanbase of the Superstar and expertly exploited his unique mannerisms and impeccable onscreen magnetism to provide a memorable theatrical experience with a liberal dose of morality.

In the early 2000s, Rajinikanth was in for a rude shock as the magic spell that worked on the previous generation did not seem to work on an entirely new generation. If it were for any other star in his position, chances are they would have given up, moved away from cinema or opted to play supporting roles. But, not Rajinikanth. Instead of sulking over his failure, he used it to learn a thing or two about the fast-evolving market and ever-changing taste of the young audience.

After the debacle of Lingaa, Rajinikanth surprised everyone by signing a film with director Pa.Ranjith, who had only helmed two medium budget movies at the time. The move marked a departure from the tradition of doing movies with experienced, masala filmmakers, who he thought knew the ins and outs of ‘Rajinism’ by heart.

Yes, Kabali didn’t live up to the expectations. But, the film sort of reenergized his career, and the film industry to a great extent. It sent out a clear signal that the Superstar was willing to take risks. That can only mean a serious tilt from the repetition of the same formula from the 90s.