South superstar Rajinikanth is celebrating his 75th birthday on Friday, December 12, 2025. Fans and celebrities from the film fraternity have been pouring heartfelt wishes on the superstar's birthday on their respective social media handles.
There is no doubt that Rajinikanth is considered the biggest icon of Tamil cinema, but very few know that the superstar actually comes from a Marathi family. Read further for more details.
Rajinikanth’s Maharashtrian roots explained
Yes! Rajinikanth, aka Thalaiva, was born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad on December 12, 1950, in Bengaluru and is of Maharashtrian roots. He grew up in a home where Marathi was spoken, and Maharashtrian traditions were followed. His parents, Ramabai and Ramoji Rao Gaekwad, belonged to the Marathi-speaking community settled in Karnataka.
Despite these roots, Rajinikanth's journey led him to Chennai, where he got himself enrolled at the Madras Film Institute to pursue acting. It was at this point that he drew the attention of K Balachander, a director renowned for launching fresh, talented actors in the Tamil film industry.
Rajinikanth’s acting debut in Tamil cinema
Rajinikanth made his acting debut by playing a small role in the 1975 Tamil film Apoorva Raagangal. It was directed by K Balachander. It was at this point that he drew the attention of K Balachander, a director renowned for launching fresh, talented actors in the Tamil film industry.
From Shivaji Rao Gaekwad to Thalaiva
For the unversed, this move became the turning point of his life. In his early days, he played small negative roles and went on to become a superstar. Over the years, audiences often assumed he was Tamil by origin, but his family background continues to remain proudly Maharashtrian.
Rajinikanth’s most famous films
Over the years, Rajinikanth has delivered several critically acclaimed films. His notable works include Enthiran, also known as Robot, featured him in a dual role as the robot Chitti and scientist Dr Vaseegaran. The film was well-received by audiences at the time of its release. Another notable film is Sivaji, which earned him the title 'Sivaji The Boss.' His other famous films include Baasha, Kabali, Padayappa, and Jailer.
Rajinikanth’s upcoming projects
The 75-year-old actor Rajinikanth was recently seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie alongside Soubin Shahir and Nagarjuna Akkineni. He will be next seen in Nelson Dilipkumar's directorial Jailer 2. This film is the second instalment of the 2023 hit film Jailer. The music for the film is composed by Anirudh Ravichander. Moreover, the actor also announced the second part of his hit classic film Padayappa, tentatively titled 'Neelambari: Padayappa 2', while the details regarding the film's plot are not known yet.
Also Read: Padayappa 2 announced: Why is Rajinikanth's film so special for fans?
