Latest news with #ApoorvaRaagangal
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Rajinikanth Fan Decorates Temple With 5,500 Posters To Celebrate Thalaiva's 50 Years In Films
Last Updated: Rajinikanth's fan decorated Rajini temple in Madurai with 5,500 photos to celebrate the actor's 50 years in cinema. Rajinikanth's next film, Coolie, releases on August 14, 2025. Rajinikanth, who is fondly referred to as Thalaiva by fans, is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film, Coolie. Everyone knows what a big superstar Rajinikanth is and the massive fan following he enjoys. And those who know of his stardom must also know that one of the actor's fans has dedicated a Rajini temple in Madurai. On the veteran actor's 50 years in cinema, the fan decorated Thalaiva's temple with 5,500 photos and film posters, and celebrated his big feat. In a grand and heartfelt gesture to celebrate Rajinikanth's 50 illustrious years in cinema, the fan, named Karthik, decorated the Arulmigu Sri Rajini Temple in Madurai with over 5,500 photographs of the actor, reported ANI. The temple is home to a striking 300-kg idol of Rajinikanth, and is also the site of a traditional abhishekam (ritual bathing), reflecting Karthik's deep devotion and admiration for the star. Opened just a few years ago, the temple stands as a testament to the emotional bond between the superstar and his fans. On Thursday, Karthik and his family performed special rituals to honour Rajinikanth's golden jubilee in the film industry, adorning the temple walls with photos from the actor's movies and career milestones. Talking about the same, he told ANI, 'Rajinikanth takes pride in elevating Tamil cinema to the global stage, which was once limited to Tamil Nadu. To celebrate his 50 years in the industry, we decorated the entire Rajinikanth temple with over 5,500 photos of the superstar… We truly hope he continues for 100 years and remains an unshakable power in Tamil cinema forever." Watch the video here: #WATCH | Madurai, Tamil Nadu: Rajinikanth's fan Karthik says, '…Rajinikanth takes pride in elevating Tamil cinema to the global stage, which was once limited to Tamil Nadu. To celebrate his 50 years in the industry, we decorated the entire Rajinikanth temple with over 5,500… — ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2025 Rajinikanth's glorious filmography Rajinikanth, who began his journey in 1975 with K Balachander's Apoorva Raagangal, continues to reign at 74 as one of Tamil cinema's most beloved icons. Known for his unmatched style, punch dialogues, and magnetic screen presence, he has delivered countless hits including Sivaji: The Boss, Robot, 2.0, Thalapathy, and Jailer. The superstar was last seen in TJ Gnanavel's Vettaiyan, alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, and Rana Daggubati, in 2024. He will next appear in Lokesh Kanagaraj's much-awaited Coolie, also starring Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Aamir Khan, and Nagarjuna Akkineni, scheduled for release on August 14, 2025. The film clashes with Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR at the box office. First Published: August 08, 2025, 15:51 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Rajinikanth completes 50 years in cinema, fans decorate temple with 5,500 photos, perform rituals
In a heartfelt tribute to mark 50 years of Superstar Rajinikanth in cinema, a fan named Karthik celebrated the milestone by adorning the Rajinikanth temple, Arulmigu Sri Rajini Temple with over 5,500 photographs of the cinema artist in Madurai. To mark 50 years of Superstar Rajinikanth in cinema, a fan named Karthik celebrated the milestone by adorning the Rajinikanth temple, Arulmigu Sri Rajini Temple. He also performed abhishekam (ritual bathing) as part of the worship, showcasing his deep devotion and admiration. The temple has 300kg idol of Rajinikanth The temple, inaugurated just a few years ago, features a striking 300-kg idol of Rajinikanth and stands as a symbol of the actor's fans' deep emotional connection and the immense popularity of the superstar across generations. Treating the actor as a deity, Karthik and his family performed special rituals and celebrations in the temple on Thursday to honour the actor's golden jubilee in the film industry. The fan adorned the temple with the photos of Rajinikanth and his movies. Rajinikanth began his cinematic journey in 1975 and has continued it successfully to this day. At 74, Superstar Rajinikanth remains one of the leading actors in Tamil cinema, achieving remarkable milestones that resonate with today's generation. Rajinikanth's glorious 50 years The Jailer actor has completed 50 years in the cinema industry this year. He debuted with the Tamil film 'Apoorva Raagangal' in 1975. It was directed by K. Balachander. In his five-decade career, the actor has garnered fame across the Indian cinema industry due to his unique acting style, iconic punch dialogues, and global fan following. Superstar Rajinikanth is known for his superhit films including Sivaji: The Boss, Robot, Robot 2.0, Thalapathy, Jailer and others. The actor was last seen in the film Vettaiyan, which was directed by T. J. Gnanavel. It boasted a star-studded cast which included Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil and Rana Daggubati in the lead roles. Rajinikanth will be next seen in the highly anticipated movie 'Coolie', which is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film stars Kannada star Upendra, Aamir Khan and Nagarjuna Akkineni in prominent roles. The movie is slated to release in theatres on August 14, 2025. (ANI)
News18
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Kannadasan Wrote This Kamal-Rajini Movie Song Half-Asleep — And Still Won A National Award!
1/9 The 71st National Film Awards were recently announced, with Tamil cinema receiving notable recognition. The award for Best Tamil Film was given to Parking (2023), while GV Prakash was named Best Music Director for Vaathi (2023). Parking also earned Ramkumar Balakrishnan the award for Best Screenplay, and veteran actor MS Bhaskar won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the same film. Among the many fascinating tales surrounding the National Awards is an intriguing story about the legendary lyricist Kannadasan, who won a National Award for a song he wrote while half asleep. Kannadasan is often the first name that springs to mind when one thinks of poets. His lyrics possess a distinctive charm, and beyond songwriting, he also acted in numerous films. Having penned songs for approximately 4,500 films, produced six films, and authored many books, Kannadasan even went so far as to write his own obituary. Despite his many achievements, one of his most memorable was winning a National Award for a song in a Rajinikanth film, composed while he was half asleep. Do you know which film featured that song? It was Apoorva Raagangal (1975), directed by K Balachander, which marked Rajinikanth's debut in Tamil cinema and also starred Kamal Haasan, Sridevi, and Srividya. The music was composed by MS Viswanathan. During the filming of Apoorva Raagangal, K Balachander and MS Viswanathan were discussing a song for the film with actor Kamal Haasan present. Balachander suggested holding a rehearsal the following day, but MS Viswanathan explained that Kannadasan's lyrics had not yet arrived. This irritated K Balachander, who questioned how long they would have to wait for the poet. MS Viswanathan tried to calm him, but when Kamal Haasan mentioned that Kannadasan was sleeping upstairs, K Balachander's anger intensified. He threatened to cancel the shoot, which woke Kannadasan, who overheard the commotion. After an hour, MS Viswanathan sent someone to check if Kannadasan was awake. The person found that Kannadasan had gone, but his assistant Anandhu handed over a piece of paper to K Balachander. Upon opening it, he was astonished to discover seven different songs written by Kannadasan. Confused about which song to choose, Balachander selected Ezhuswarangalukkul, sung by Vani Jayaram. This song, written in a semi-drowsy state, became immensely popular and won the National Award. Vani Jayaram also received the Best Female Playback Singer award for her performance. The film Apoorva Raagangal went on to win a total of three National Awards.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
50 years of Rajinikanth: Inside the Adyar house where the Superstar's debut, ‘Apoorva Raagangal', was shot
Exactly 50 years ago, an anxious young actor stood outside the gate of a bungalow in Adyar, Madras. The shoot required him to push open the gate and stride inside. It was a low-angle shot that the film's director, K Balachander, had envisioned for this particular sequence, and it took the actor, then a newbie trying to find his feet in Tamil cinema, more than five takes to get it right. It was his first shot for the big screen, and pushing the gate would — quite literally — mark his entry into Tamil films. That actor is none other than Rajinikanth, and the film, Apoorva Raagangal (released on August 18, 1975). Cut to 2025, and the 'Superstar', as Rajinikanth is widely called by fans, is awaiting the release of his upcoming film, Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. August 2025 not only marks Coolie's release. It also marks 50 years of actor Rajinikanth. The residence Fifty years since Rajinikanth shot for Apoorva Raagangal, that house in Adyar still stands, and is in pristine condition. The place where the actor delivers his first lines ('Bhairavi veedu idhane'?), where he gets atop a parked scooter and the trees in the backdrop... they are all very much there, reminiscent of a day that would go on to change the fate of Tamil cinema for good. Unfortunately, the gate that Rajinikanth pushes in the film was replaced by a modern design 10 years ago by its current owners. But, everything else in the house remains the same as it did in the 1975 film, which was also the first time Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan (the hero of the film) share screen space. Directed by the late legendary filmmaker K Balachander, Apoorva Raagangal will be remembered by some Tamil cinema fans as a complex take on relationships. But many fans will also remember it to be the introduction of Rajinikanth, a man who came from humble beginnings and went on to become one of the biggest superstars in the country. While the film focussed on Kamal Haasan, Major Sundararajan, Srividya and Jayasudha, Rajinikanth's dramatic cameo in the climax made heads turn. As K Balachander is quoted in writer Naman Rachandran's book, Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography, 'When I introduced him in Apoorva Raagangal, it was a small role but people would remember him because he comes in the climax. So I thought I'll give this particular role to him.' But it was no cakewalk for conductor-turned-actor Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, as Rajinikanth was then known before K Balachander decided to re-christen him. He reportedly took tips from popular comedian Nagesh, who also had a short role in the film, to ape the director's off-screen explanation of the scene to get rid of his nervousness. Rajinikanth has made massive strides since his first day of shoot in this Adyar house — which was on a Thursday (March 27, 1975). His on-screen persona and style has fetched him millions of fans across the globe. Today, he owns a residence at the posh neighbourhood of Poes Garden but one of his unfulfilled dreams is purchasing that house where he first stood as a young actor. In an interview to Zee Tamil during the promotions of director Shankar's 2.0 in 2018, the actor stated, 'I have been to that house in Adyar quite a few times after I made it big. I wanted to buy it. It did come up for sale but before we could proceed, someone else purchased it.' The current owners of the property, who purchased the house in 1979, are well aware of the rich cinematic history associated with their residence and have thus made very few changes to how it was 50 years ago. But they also request anonymity and privacy – as they are a little wary of Rajinikanth fans landing up at their doorstep unannounced.
Pink Villa
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Rajinikanth recalls painful memory of college mate mocking him as a coolie: 'Asked me to carry luggage into his tempo and...'
Veteran actor Rajinikanth, who is gearing up for his much-awaited action thriller, Coolie, started his acting career with the 1975 Tamil film, Apoorva Raagangal. His die-hard fans are aware of the fact that he used to work as a bus conductor in Bengaluru before entering films. But do you know that Rajinikanth also took up the job of a coolie? Rajinikanth was once mocked by his college mate when he used to work as a porter. Rajinikanth recalls his coolie days during film's trailer launch During the trailer launch of Coolie, Rajinikanth recently recalled his initial days when people would yell at him during his porter job. The megastar shared a painful memory of meeting his college mate whom he used to mock earlier. The man asked Rajinikanth to carry his luggage and gave him Rs 2 for the job while mocking the latter. 'At that moment, he ridiculed me and said, 'How arrogant you were in those days', mocking my job. That was the first time I broke down crying in my life,' the 74-year-old megastar said. Rajinikanth calls Coolie director Lokesh Kanagaraj the 'real hero' In the same event, Rajinikanth referred to his Coolie director, Lokesh Kanagaraj, as a 'real hero' of the upcoming film. The veteran actor called him 'one of the most successful commercial directors' who has created a storm with an amazing star cast. More about Coolie Produced by Kalanithi Maran under the banner of Sun Pictures, Coolie is scheduled to be released on August 14, 2025, coinciding with the Independence Day weekend. It is clashing with Hrithik Roshan, Kiara Advani and Jr NTR's upcoming action drama, War 2, in the Hindi markets. Apart from Rajinikanth, the upcoming Tamil action thriller also features Nagarjuna Akkineni, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, and Sathyaraj. Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan is also a part of the star cast. Tentatively titled Thalaivar 171, it is Rajinikanth's 171st film as a lead actor. After Coolie, Rajinikanth also has Jailer 2 in the pipeline. The film marks the sequel to his 2023 release, Jailer. He was last seen in the Tamil action drama, Vettaiyan, in 2024.
