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Actor Rajinikanth turns 65, calls off celebrations for Chennai floods

by IBNS 11 Dec 2015, 05:55 pm

Chennai, Dec 12 (IBNS) The powerhouse of Tamil Cinema, actor Rajinikanth, celebrated his 65th birthday on Saturday.

Born as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad in 1950, Rajni had a humble beginning as a bus conductor in the Bangalore Transport Service.

The king of style,  Rajinikanth joined the Madras Film Institute to pursue a diploma in acting and later debuted in K Balachander's Tamil drama Apoorva Raagangal, two years later.

Though playing small characters, mostly antagonists in his earlier days, he and his roles slowly developed and after a string of commercial hits, Rajni was a superstar.

The man known for his on-screen antics, has wooed millions with his charm and commanded respect in the real world with humanitarian works.

Known to have the third strongest fan base in India after Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, Rajni called off his birthday celebrations this year and also donated Rs 10 crore  for the Chennai flood victims.

The actor has won numerous awards and tops various polls almost regularly.

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2000 by the Indian Government.