The Name is Rajinikanth

The book was launched at Taj Connemera in Chennai last evening. Soundharaya Rajinikanth was the only person who was there from Superstar’s family. It was already known that other family members including Superstar would not be there since it would look like self-proclaiming. Soundharya too didn’t speak much in the event. Just a small speech, “I am proud to be the daughter of a great man.’

Veteran journalist Cho S Ramaswamy handed over the first copy of the book to the superstar’s daughter Soundarya Rajnikanth. Cho was being mischievous, ‘Rajnikanth is a believer in spiritualism but he is not a spiritualist, an observer of politics but not a politician and an actor but not a showman.’

"The book is a good attempt at recording the events in the life of an actor who achieved success after crossing several hurdles. Rajnikanth was no hypocrite as he accepts his failures and shortcomings in his life openly in the book", noted D R Karthikeyan, former director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

From Author:
Why did you zero in on Rajnikanth and not Kamal Haasan for your first book?
I felt he was the obvious choice because he was the superstar, and the hype surrounding Sivaji was so immense. When I searched for him on the Internet, I found out that he grew up motherless as a child, and had a very bad childhood. Later on, he had to work as a coolie, then a bus conductor and lastly became the superstar. I found the stories had so many gaps. But I thought the rags-to-riches story of Rajni was very fascinating. So, I decided to write a biography on Rajnikanth and started my work in March 2007.

How did you begin your work? Did you contact Rajniknath first?

No, I couldn’t contact him. He was shooting for Sultan in Holland. So, I met his wife through a common friend. I told her, ‘Ma’am I want to write a book on your husband’. She said there are a million books on him. She first thought I was yet another fan. When she came to know that I was an ophthalmologist, she was amused and gave me permission to go ahead.

I went to Bangalore and the first person I met was Bahadur. He then helped me meet all of Rajni’s school friends. I also met his brother, a very simple man. I think simplicity runs in the family. Then I went to Mumbai to meet the friends he had befriended as a teenager but they wanted to remain anonymous.

This is what Rajinikanth’s close friend and fiercest competitor Kamal Haasan had to tell about the book:“Dr Gayathri Sreekanth has a unique viewpoint. An angle Rajini fans most cherish. A low angle shot looking up at their hero. Dr Gayathri has not destroyed truth for the sake of sensationalism. A book of this sort in English is long overdue. Precious, little, private details about the superstar fills the book. Though I know most of them, it is still a good read. The rise of Rajini is a notable achivement and will be remembered in Tamil commercial cinema history. So will Dr Gayathri’s book. Have a good read.”

From Dr. Gayathri Sreekanth’s “The Name Is Rajini Kanth – A biography”

Visiting that Ragavendra temple in Bangalore is almost more than a routine for her. She has not seen him ever before in the temple.

He was sitting on the floor with his closed eyes, folded legs and locked fingers in ‘Gnana Mudra’. He looked strange and different with a turban on his head and the very long flowing beard. Some thing was there in his face that attracted her. She could not understand what that was.

She finished her ‘darshan’ and came out; she saw the man was walking in the corridor. Again something was happening in her, she could not understand what was that. She was telling herself, “a poor old man. I have to help him”. She ran to him, gave rupees ten in his hand and forced him to accept. He smiled, expressed a reverence like a ‘prasadam’ by keeping it in the forehead and thanked her by keeping the hand in prayer position (‘Namasthey’).

As she came out, she saw the man was getting into his Mercedes Benz, she was perplexed, shivered and ran to him and said, “Sir (Ayya!), Please forgive me, I did not do this to insult you. By seeing your dress and appearance, I thought you are struggling in life and offered you the money. It is a blunder. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Please give me back that money. I am sorry”.

The man with the fake beard and turban laughed and replied her politely, “Ammaa.. There is no mistake of yours. It is the other way. The creator is again and again reminding me through some body, “You are nothing. You are not special. Everybody is equal in front of me”. He keeps on sending this message again and again and today you happened to be a medium. That’s it. Thanks a ton”. His hand again went to prayer position, expressed gratitude to the lady and he went into his car.

When the lady realized the man was none other than Super star Rajini Kanth - Asia’s number one paid actor, he has left the place.

She did not know what to do. With tears in her eyes, she was starring at the direction that the car went.

Eagerly awaiting to read this book....