Superstar Rajinikanth turns 74: A collection of tributes to the evergreen ‘Thalaivar’-OxBig News Network

Fans of actor Rajinikanth celebrate the release of his new movie ‘Jailer’ outside a movie theater, in Chennai, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023.
| Photo Credit: R Senthil Kumar

It’s the Thalaivar day! Superstar Rajinikanth, an icon of Indian cinema who has been ruling the silver screen for six decades, celebrated his 74th birthday on Thursday (December 12, 2024). Birthday wishes have been pouring in from fans, friends, well-wishers, politicians, colleagues and others worldwide, and social media is gripped with the Rajini mania.

A globally-renowed stalwart with over 170 film credits to his name, across multiple regional industries like Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Malayalam, Rajinikanth is widely considered one of the greatest superstars of southern Asia.

A recipient of Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, India’s third and second-highest civilian honours, Rajinikanth was bestowed the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in the field of cinema, in 2019.

Fans celebrate the release of the movie ‘Vettaiyan’ starring Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan, at Albert theatre in Chennai on 10 October 2024.
| Photo Credit:
AKHILA EASWARAN

The superstar’s 74th birthday comes on the heels of the success of his recent film Vettaiyan, directed by TJ Gnanavel. Up next, he will be seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie.

On his birthday, here’s a collection of some of The Hindu’s articles that pays tribute to the evergreen Thalaivar