Rajinikanth matters. Here is why.

As many of my regular readers would have observed by now, some of my recent posts have taken on quite a bit of nostalgia. This is not a blatant attempt at capturing attention and thus page views. I do not make money when you click the link and see my post. As the world starts changing rapidly, nostalgia offers an umbrella of solace to those not completely at home with the new. Now I understand why my father and uncles live so much in the past when it comes to music and cinema. The cinema of our childhood offers an innocence that we believe is lost today. With every change of guard, a little bit of that innocence gets chipped away. It is with that perspective that I write about a very integral part of my childhood memories, Thalaivar and the only Superstar I will ever know, Rajinikanth. What better time than on the eve of his birthday (Dec 12).So where do I start?. My earliest memory of Rajinikanth was "Podhuvaga en manasu" from Murattu Kalai. The song was a big hit and I was 3 at that time. An age when larger than life role models are easy to pick up. In hind sight, this was the beginning of Rajini the Superstar. Until then, he was supposedly a director's actor. An infinitely moldable character who brought a searing intensity be it as a hero or as a villain.Here is Rajini, the romantic hero.And here he is, the consummate villain.I was always a MGR kinda guy. Less drama. More action and fun. Rajini represented all that and more. After Murattu Kalai, Rajini the actor morphed into Rajini, the Star and soon to be Superstar. There are those who argue that a great actor's skill was shoved to the background in this process of this transformation. But I disagree. For pure histrionics, we had and will always have the multifaceted and multitalented Kamalhassan. Kamal will always be the master of the art. Rajini will be remember as the one who took the art to the common man and made him believe he too could be a star.Rajini offered the masses clean cinema with a strong sense of what was right. But he was careful not to cultivate MGR's holier than thou image in cinema. Instead he was the original rebel. The dude who cared a damn but still mattered. His style will warrant its own post. And there are tons of Youtube videos dedicated to that. Ill point you to a three part collection in Youtube that captures some of Rajini's best moments in cinema. Feel free to search for more.Over the years, Rajini has excelled in delivering family friendly cinema with the right dose of humor, enough thrills and spills and more importantly, a treasure trove of punch dialogues that are enshrined in the annals of Tamil cinema. Every movie of Rajini is filled with its share of punch dialogues that at their time fueled the public imagination to dramatic heights. You have to have experienced it to believe it. Case to point, Alex Pandian in Moondru Mugam.Rarely are Rajini's movies boring or dull. Even some of his less popular ones are watchable because of his sense of comedic timing and dialogue delivery. He chooses his directors and scripts in a way that played to his strengths. He represents the essense of cinema as a medium of entertainment. And continues to do so. His most recent release Enthiran shattered box office records, all of 37 years after his first movie. And he plays the hero in Enthiran. In his 2007 release, Sivaji he enthralls as a bald headed alter ego for which he shaved completely- something most stars today would dare not do. And it all stems from his respect for the medium and what it has given him. Most stars today think of themselves as superstars before they are 10 movies old. Rajini after over 150 movies continues to be a director's actor driven by his humility and respect for the art.What Rajinikanth also gives me are milestones to my school and college life. His movies define major events in my life. Every Rajinikanth movie to me and to countless fans are associated with times in their life. And his movies make for great life bookmarks. I remember standing in a massive line to get tickets to Dalapathi at Archana-Darsana. I remember watching Veera multiple times because I fell in love with "Madathile". One of those times was after lying through my teeth to family and heading to Jyothi in Mount Road, Chennai where a massive 30 feet billboard welcomed me to the movie. I remember howling in laughter for Mannan and screaming when Rajini says "Adhu seri, adhu seri" in "Adikudhu Kuliru". And then there was Annamalai. Scene after scene filled with punch dialogues echoing in my head even today. Who can forget "Dey Ashok" or the auction scene or the unforgettable association election scene. The association election scene oozes style unparalleled that I feel like whistling as I watch it today on youtube.And for most stars, Annamalai would be their ultimate style statement. In the case of Rajinikanth, he one upped it with Baasha in 1995. I was in my 11th standard and remember the hype and hysteria for the movie. And the experience is something remarkable in the theater. When the goons bash up Baasha's family outside his house and the man reveals himself, the entire theater erupts. No actor can and will ever deliver that kind of feeling in a theater. Who can forget the scenes between Padayappa and Ramya Krishnan as a brilliant Neelambhari in Padayappa?Even today, Enthiran and Sivaji pack more muscle and fun than any other offering from today's crop of superstars. The Rajini aura continues unabated. And on his birthday, I am reminded of how much he matters to me and to millions of fans around the world. To all of us, he is the simple star. The one who can do no wrong and who makes the world easier to live in. And as long as he is around, things just seem perfect.As a parting video, watch Rajini at his villainous best.Happy Birthday Thalaiva.