Rajinikath turns 72: a glimpse into actor's roller-coaster ride in Tamil movies

Shivaji Rao Gaikwad turns 72, today. December 12 gives another reason for his fans who grow fonder for him over the years to celebrate the actor's career.

For most of his legions of fans, his stage name, Rajnikath might leave electrifying shiver down their collective spines.

Inside the theatres, as the credits rolls on the screen, they would cheer out loud at the name "Rajnikanth".

Heavy woodblock-size letters of his name come with flash of lightening and peal of thunder, prophesying great action and drama ahead.

The actor with little or no attributes of regular plump heroes has been keeping audience spellbound close to five decades, and counting. His next major movie 'Jailer' is longtime coming to his restive fans.

In long-drawn career, Ranjikanth acted in 160 films that include alongside Tamil, a few in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali.

Debuting in 1975 in K. Balachander's Tamil movie Apoorva Raagangal, Rajnikath never looked up becoming one of the most popular actors in South India.

His acting is known for its oomph and vigour he pumps on the screen with his ensnaring mannerisms, crisp gait, and raspy but pattering dialogue-delivery.

A classmate of his from acting school back during 1974-75 was quoted as saying that he always understood how important mannerism for an actor.

While others including K C James, who is from Kozhikode Kerala, were trying more natural acting, Rajnikath worked on his mannerisms including the famous 'cigarette flip' for which he was known later.

Some of Rajinikanth's high-grossing movies include Billa, Thalapathi, Baashha, Annaamalai, Mannan, Uzhaippali, Muthu, Padayappa, Shivaji, and Enthiran.