Photo of Rajinikanth
Acting

Rajinikanth

Profession
Acting
Born
December 12, 1950 · Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Biography

Rajinikanth (born Shivaji Rao Gaikwad; 12 December 1950) is an Indian actor, producer, and screenwriter who works primarily in Tamil cinema. He made his cinematic debut in a supporting antagonistic role in K. Balachander's Tamil drama *Apoorva Raagangal* (1975). Known for his distinctive acting style and dialogue delivery, he has become an established and commercially bankable actor in Indian cinema. After initially portraying villains and anti-heroes, Rajinikanth transitioned to lead roles during the late 1970s and 1980s. His collaborations with director S. P. Muthuraman included *Bhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri* (1977), *Murattu Kaalai* (1980), and *Nallavanukku Nallavan* (1984). His notable films of the 1990s included Suresh Krisnna's *Annamalai* (1992) and *Baashha* (1995), K. S. Ravikumar's *Muthu* (1995), and *Padayappa* (1999). During the 2000s and 2010s, Rajinikanth appeared in P. Vasu's horror-comedy *Chandramukhi* (2005), Shankar's action film *Sivaji: The Boss* (2007), and the science-fiction films *Enthiran* (2010) and *2.0* (2018). He also starred in Pa. Ranjith's dramas *Kabali* (2016) and *Kaala* (2018), and Karthik Subbaraj's action film *Petta* (2019). He received the Padma Bhushan in 2000, the Padma Vibhushan in 2016, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2021. In 2023, Rajinikanth starred in Nelson Dilipkumar's action film *Jailer*. His 2024 releases included an extended cameo as Moideen Bhai in Aishwarya Rajinikanth's *Lal Salaam* and the lead role in T. J. Gnanavel's action-drama *Vettaiyan*. His subsequent films include Lokesh Kanagaraj's action thriller *Coolie* (2025) and Nelson Dilip Kumar's sequel *Jailer 2* (2026). Notable Upcoming Films Ashwath Marimuthu's *Dharman* (2027) and Nelson Dilip Kumar's *RKxKH Re-Union*.

Known for

Chennai Express poster
Chennai Express
Film · 2013 · ★ 6.5
Ra.One poster
Ra.One
Film · 2011 · ★ 5.8
Enthiran poster
Enthiran
Film · 2010 · ★ 6.6
2.0 poster
2.0
Film · 2018 · ★ 5.9
Sivaji: The Boss poster
Sivaji: The Boss
Film · 2007 · ★ 7.1
Jailer poster
Jailer
Film · 2023 · ★ 6.6
Coolie poster
Coolie
Film · 2025 · ★ 6.2
Kabali poster
Kabali
Film · 2016 · ★ 6.0
Petta poster
Petta
Film · 2019 · ★ 7.2
Chandramukhi poster
Chandramukhi
Film · 2005 · ★ 6.9
Kaala poster
Kaala
Film · 2018 · ★ 6.4
Baasha poster
Baasha
Film · 1995 · ★ 7.6

Filmography