Rajni-The Phenomenon

Friday Morning…

Time: early morning 6 30.. scenes on Vadapalani Road..People lining up in queues ..barricades have been put up .. What could be the occasion ??Perhaps was the government givin out free tv sets??( yeah of course that was the most useful object on earth that politicians could think of .. and shameless that we voted for such a silly thing..when most dont even have proper homes..) NO..
9 30.. Flowers,Garlands,Pumpkins,Arathis,Camphor ,Tonnes of Milk all kept in place.. perhaps A temple Festival?? or a day of extreme religious significance..?? NO..
Friday , June 15 th… Offical release of our SUPER STAR’s magnum opus SIVAJI!
The demi god who defies barriers.The man who cuts across all social sections of the society.. kids, ladies, teenagers, man,woman, senior citizens,black, white,bench sitter to BENZ owner,cobbler to computer expert,auto driver to auto mobile engineer.. he woos them all..Perhaps the only thing that entire Tamil Nadu have in common is this liking for our superstar.
He began as a humble bus conductor giving out tickets to people..manning the route 10A.. now people are struggling to get TICKETS to his movie.He has been placed on a pedestral that no other movie star can even dream about .. yet he is the epitome of simplicity.It is sad that his acting skills have been pushed to the background, thanks to his inimitable style and a larger than life image. Some of his evergreen movies are..
RAJNI-THE HERO
BAASHA – I doubt if there are people in Tamil Nadu who have not scene this movie.An amazing script to which only Super Star could have done justice..One of Super Star’s two favourite movies( along with Mullum Malarum).
ANNAMALAI- THE movie which set the cat among political pigeons.From an innocent do gooder in the first half, Rajni transforms into a shrewd business man in the second phase of the movie.
MURATTU KALAI- Tho movie which enabled Rajni to reach out to the rural masses.One of the biggest grossers of the 1980′s.
BILLA- An out and out Rajni movie ,in which Rajni portrays two diverse characters with amazing style.
RAJNI-THE FUN
THILLU MULLU-Rajni’s first full length comedy caper..A movie which can be seen over and over again.
RAJA CHINNA ROJA-A movie exclusively for kids..Rajni charms the tiny tots with his charisma( I have watched it 44 times since childhood..!)
GURU SHISYAN-Another comedy treat form super star.CHO’s one line political sattires add to the fun.
JOHNY- Another dual role for Super Star.. He plays a barber who guns down his own lover.. all with a sublime streak of humour.
NINAITHAALE INIKKUM-Rajni shares screen space with kamal , and breathes the necessary humour into this otherwise serious movie.
VELAIKARAN-It is fun all the way, of course in typical Rajni ” ishtyle”!
RAJNI-THE ACTOR
AARILIRUNDHU ARUVADHU VARAI-If any one has any doubt about the acting credentials of Rajni, they must see this movie before passing a comment.Rajni portrays the struggles of a young man who shoulders the burden of his entire family right from a tender age.The scenes when Rajni struggles to get even milk for his infant kid,his emotional portrayal when his wife immolates herself so that her husband would get the insurance money, would leave the audience in tears.Rajni then attains fame as a writer.The film ends on a tearful note with the death of Rajni.
THALAPATHI- Another big grosser, this time RAJNI appears sance make up,his style and a cigarette.
MULLUM MALARUM-Super star’s personal favorite(He even ranks this one above Baasha).Rajni plays a young man who loses his arm in an accident and who forever dotes on his beloved sister.
NALLLAVANUKKU NALLAVAN-Rajni playa a baddie in the first half, who is reformed by his wife..The story takes a turn after his wife’s death and his own daughter turns against him.
DHARMA DHURAI- Rajni plays an innocent villager whose life revolves around his two brothers.When all is lost,Rajni realises that his brothers have cheated on him and eventually he is sent to jail..Another portrayal from Rajni which leaves you with a heavy heart.
NAAN SIGAPPU MANITHAN-Rajni plays an undercover reformer who wards of the society of all evil,after he loses all and sundry in his personal life..Bhagyaraj comes up with a neat role in this movie.
ILAMAI OONJAL AADUGIRADHU-A classic form director Sridhar.. Rajni plays a stylish manager who goes all out to help his friend Kamal.The story takes an interesting twist when both fall in love with the same girl.
ANBULLA RAJNIKANTH-Rajni plays himself in this movie..
MUNDRU MUDICHU-Rajni plays an all out baddie who charms the audience with his style..
NETRIKKAN-Style at its best.. the film is about the face off between a son, and his baddie father, both played by Rajni himself.
POLLADHAVAN-Rajni sports a beard almost throughout this movie..HE plays a widower, who loves his kid and is thirsty to avenge the death of his wife.
We, forever have pretenders to his throne.. who might not achieve throughout their careers whatever super star achieved in a single movie..
One forever keeps repeating the same story again and again, changing the heroines and directors alone, another one stakes a claim to his throne when he can’t even deliver hits continuously..
And the funniest part is about this “little” version of Super Star(mind you ,no Super Star fan would agree with this, all this is self proclamation by the actor concerned).This is an actor who shamelessly tries to imitate Rajni on screen( and fails miserably at that, only ending up leaving you irritated and frustrated),who keeps on mouthing punch dialogues , advising people in his songs, when he is not even a dozen films old, still calls himself “little” when he is 23( will he ever grow up??),who portrays obscenity in all his movies, with scenes which would leave you squirming in your seats.
Perhaps this Sivaji mania should make his pretenders realise where they really stand in comparision to the incomparable Super Star..
By the way, I am all excited about “Sivaji”.. I have been discussing nothing but this for the past week(I have left my friends exasperated).. and I am watching it tonight..! So the next post will be on “Sivaji” of course..