The Name Is Rajnikanth : Rajni's biography ( Other side of Rajni unveiled )

"Don't stare at me like that you son of a pig," screamed Rajinikanth at one of the assistance directors. "Hey! Excuse me, sir," the shocked assistant retorted, "I wasn't staring at you. I was only thinking about today's scene and the props."

"Liar. You stared at me I know," Rajinikanth looked as if he was about to slap the assistant.

"I might have, but oh well... I really did not realize I was looking at you." Sensing trouble the assistant instantly changed tracks.

"I don't like any one, I repeat, any one, looking in my eyes. I feel murderous when some one does that." He growled, excusing the assistant who, in any case, had started to make a hasty retreat.

Actor Siva Kumar, a gentle charismatic person, finished his shot and slumped on the chair next to Rajinikanth.

"Hello, sir." Rajini quickly switched over to his humble self.

"You know I have been wondering," Siva Kumar looked questioningly at Rajinikanth, "I always seen you shooting for movies.

No one can work non-stop like you do. How do you manage to put in and still look so relaxed?"

"Sir, you want to know my routine?" Rajini asked.

"Ya. Tell me."

"I am out for shooting at 6 in the morning. The grind for the day begins. It is non-stop, continuous shooting. The directors wrap up by 6.30 pm after which I head straight home, have a good bath and push off to the Taj or the Sheraton bar with my friends. I drink and make merry until midnight after which I succumb to the basic biological cravings, I head home by 5 am and proceed for shooting the following day. And life goes on like this." He added somewhat philosophically.

"But when do you sleep?"

"Sir, it's almost 20 days since I hit the sack," was Rajini's matter-of-fact reply.

"But it's humanly impossible. How can one survive without sleeping? What's the need for you to work so hard?" enquired a perplexed Siva Kumar, musing more to himself.

"I get half an hour when they break for lunch. I just doze off then. That maybe the reason why I am still alive." Rajinikanth replies nonchalantly.

An aggressive Rajinikanth barged into the duty free shop and demanded a can of soda water. Rajinikanth was aggressive and looked menacing.

"Rajini, sir?" a dumbstruck shop assistant frantically ran around the store, unable to believe his luck seeing his idol at such close quarters. But his face fell when he couldn't find what he had been looking for, and apologetically said, "Sorry, sir, we seem to have run out of stock."

Flesh touches flesh with a thud.

Rajinikanth slaps the shop assistant: "How dare you not stock soda? Don't you know I wanted one?"

"I, sir... you just slapped me you know?" the man managed to talk back, timidly, ashamed at the public humiliation.

"Yes, I slapped you, now I know that's not enough." He then removed his leather belt from his trouser buckle, wanting to flog the helpless guy who ran out of the shop shouting for help.

It took Nambiar a lot of patience and effort to control Rajinikanth and his fiery temper.

Rajini's restlessness knew no bounds. At the airport he shouted at anybody coming his way, kicked innocent assistants and bared his teeth to people who tried getting near him.

"Total nervous breakdown," Nambiar said, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Excuse me, sir," said the senior airhostess. "I am sorry, we cannot take a mentally disturbed person on board," and refused to let Rajini inside the aircraft.

"Oh no no no" Nambiar protested. "He is not mentally disturbed. He is just over worked." Other artistes also came to his rescue.

"In that case, sir," said the airhostess relenting a little, "two of you must sign this form, taking responsibility for this person and his in-flight behavior. Otherwise, I won't allow him to board the flight."

Nambiar hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Of course," and braced himself for the occasion. Siva Kumar turned out to be the other signatory.

"It's a week since we got back from Madurai, right?" Rajnikanth asked Siva Kumar, who came back to the present abruptly.

"Yeah, it is almost a week."

The same night Rajinikanth was hospitalized for breaking windowpanes of his rented house, followed by heavy drinking.

Almost all show-world success stories in India appear the same. What sets individuals apart is the approach and the attitude once they reach the top. No one can resist a rags-to-riches story. It is every common man's dream. But Rajinikanth's story is irresistible. He continues to be an enigma to both his fans and contemporaries. He is simple Shivaji Rao Gaekwad who, by way of luck and hard work became a superstar, and continues to remain on top notwithstanding the vagaries of time. His starrer Muthu gave him an enviable identity globally, and sky seemed the limit after its unprecedented success in Japan. His latest, Shivaji has further spread his charisma globally. One can love Rajinikanth as millions do, one can hate him, as his detractors do, but the fact also remains no one can ignore him. None can shrug away his presence unless he or she is extremely insensitive to the film world. The book painstakingly seeks to record every nuance of Rajinikanth's life: the joys and sorrows, the pains and ecstasies, loves and betrayals. It also does not shy away from underlining the two extremes that have remained an intrinsic part of his highly eventful career: the human and the divine. The book tells the essential truth about Rajinikanth that has thus far remained unknown to his vast fan following.

Originally Posted by Ninja

I want to read this book now. Thanks Angel for sharing this with us