Little Known Facts About Rajinikanth As He Celebrates His 67th Birthday

Rajinikanth celebrates his 67th Birthday today. Born on December 12, 1950, Rajinikanth's real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad. Here are some little known facts about one of the biggest superstars in India:

• Rajinikanth was born to Jijabai and Ramoji Rao Gaikwad, a Maharashtrian couple living in Bangalore, and was named Shivaji Rao Gaikwad. He is the youngest of four siblings.
• His mother died when Rajini was five and the family went through tough times.
• At the age of six, Rajinikanth was enrolled at the "Gavipuram Government Kannada Model Primary School" where he had his primary education.
• As a young man, Rajinikanth did many odd jobs, including that of a coolie.
• He was working as a bus conductor before he made it big in the film industry. When Rajinikanth was working as a conductor his salary was around Rs.750.
• His friend Raj Bahadur, with whom he is still close, encouraged him to pursue his dreams and become an actor. Bahadur asked him to enrol in the Madras Film Institute. Rajinikanth was noticed in a Kannada play at the Film Institute by director K Balachander. 'Learn Tamil,' the director told Rajini before leaving.
• Rajinikanth gained the superstar status through Baasha, which released in the year 1995. This film broke several box office records and established Rajini as a force to reckon with.
• Rajinikanth wrote his first ever screenplay for the movie Valli, in which he made a guest appearance as well.
• Rajinikanth is the only megastar to visit the Himalayan caves after every film! According to him, being there detoxifies his soul and he attains peace.
• The Government of India has honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016 for his contributions to the arts.