Jailer star Rajinikanth: I faced a tsunami of hate in the 70s

Rajinikanth recalled that when he was given the "Superstar" title in the 80s, he expressed his reluctance to accept it. And many at the time took it as a sign of his fear.

Rajinikanth in Jailer.

Superstar Rajinikanth has opened up about the challenges he faced during the early days of his career. While it may seem his rise to become one of the biggest movie stars of Indian cinema, his speech at the Jailer audio launch has shed light on the perseverance that helped him to succeed.

Rajinikanth recalled that when he was given the "Superstar" title in the 80s, he expressed his reluctance to accept it. And many at the time took it as a sign of his fear to live up to the expectations of that honorary title. And that motivated Rajinikanth to accept the title and become worthy of it. However, he revealed the actual reason as to why he initially hesitated to keep that title. "In the 80s, Sivaji sir was still acting and Kamal Haasan was at the top. And I felt ( as a newcomer) how can I be called Superstar. I hesitate out of respect for my seniors," he said.

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But, it was not the only challenge he had to face in his career spanning nearly five decades. He credited the divine blessing and love he managed to garner from the fans with his work to overcome what he called the "tsunami of hate."

"The kids of this generation won't know, but I faced a tsunami of hate during the 70s. Unlike today, there were no social media back then. So people didn't know. This Rajinikanth is the plant that grew in the heat of such hate and opposition. And that plant was protected by the god and the fans that I earned because of my hard work. They were like iron forts," he added.

Rajinikanth revealed that his position as a leading star solidified when his movies started appealing to women audiences. While he had found a fan base among men with his style and other onscreen gimmicks, it was his dramatic and sober performances in movies like Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai, Mulluam Mallaram and Bhuvana Oru Kalluri that expanded his fan base transcending gender and age divides.

"Once women started watching my films, no amount of hatred could harm me. But, still that fire is not out and is still simmering," he added.

Jailer is due in cinemas on August 10.

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