When Rajinikanth Was Humiliated By A Producer & Thrown Out

Rajinikanth, known as the beloved Thalaiva is a legend in Indian cinema. His immense popularity and admiration are well-known but there was a time when he faced a significant setback early in his career.

By
Vishnu Priya
- August 2, 2024 | 3:01 PM IST
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The experience of humiliation and set back, though painful, ultimately set him on the path to becoming a superstar.

In January 2020 during the audio launch of the film Darbar, Rajinikanth shared a story from his early acting days that highlighted his journey to stardom. He recounted an incident from the 1970s when he was just starting out in the film industry.

At that time Rajinikanth had been cast for a role in a film and had agreed upon a payment of Rs. 6000. However he requested an advance to confirm his role which the producer did not provide. On the day of the shoot the advance still had not been paid.

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Despite this Rajinikanth showed up for the shoot hoping the producer would settle the payment. When the producer directed him to get ready for makeup Rajinikanth refused to proceed until he received the Rs. 1000 advance he was owed. The producer reacted angrily to this demand.

The producer arriving in a luxurious ambassador car was upset with Rajinikanth’s insistence. He questioned Rajinikanth’s status as an artist and told him to leave, saying, “Are you a big artist or what? Just because you’ve done a few films you won’t sit for makeup without advance? No character for you. Get out.”

As a result Rajinikanth had to walk home, as the producer refused to give him a ride. While walking he noticed that people recognized him and quoted lines from his recent film. Initially he thought they were mocking him but this realization became a turning point for him. He made a promise to himself that he would never return to that studio without driving a foreign car.

Rajinikanth worked hard to achieve this goal. He eventually bought an Italian Fiat and hired a chauffeur. True to his promise he returned to the studio where he had been humiliated now driving his foreign car.

Rajinikanth described the moment with pride: “With one leg over the other I sat royally as my car entered AVM Studios. I had the chauffeur park where the producer used to park. I got out and smoked two cigarettes. Many thought the Governor had arrived.”

As of 2024 Rajinikanth continues to make a mark in the film industry. He starred in major hits like Lal Salaam and Jailer and is set to appear in upcoming films Vettaiyan (2024) and Coolie (2025).

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