A true Achiever

I'm wondering.. What is it about Super star Rajnikanth that seems to inspire me soo much? Why do I go crazy when I see him? I'm not talking about his on-screen persona or his style. Those speak volumes about him as an actor. But when I see him, "izhuthu kai koopi kumbidanum pola irukku" (Thalaivar ishtyle definition of Satvikam in Padayappa!)

When I see the Superstar, I see a man who has risen from humble beginnings. He has dared to dream big. He has not let anything restrain him and he has been ambitious enough to chase the stars and go for what he wanted. He has struggled and slogged real hard to achieve it. And now when he has achieved everything and more, instead of letting that get into his head, he is modest and humble and has definitely not forgotten to acknowledge God/destiny for it. Nor has he forgotten his roots and past. He as a person teaches you soo many things in life. If he ain't a role model for people to emulate, I don't know who else is. He rocks!

He does it once again!

Oh GODD!! Wat an experience. Just back after "Endhiran". Whatttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy movie! I'm not gonna spoil anything for the ones that've not watched the movie. But THALAIVAR totallyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy rocks!
Thalaivar as the human is demure.. has none of the usual out-of-the-world moves.. yet he is stylish. But as machine, he just rocks. In the second half, he is the personification of rousssssssss in its PURESTTTTT and FULLEST form! Shankar absolutellyy lets Thalaivar work his charm.. He rocks with his dialogue delivery and style. Version '2.0' simpllyyyyy stunning! AMAZINGGGGGG!
$30 for the ticket. First Day First Show. SOOO Worth everything! Completeee paisa vasool. Goose bumps. Fulllaaaa arichu pochu! :)

Thalaivaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! What would we do without you??!!

P.S: My mouth's gone sore after all the frenzied whistling! Hail Thalaivar! :)

Yen Thalaivar Vazhga!

I think I was five or six when I first saw him on TV. Doordarshan used to screen tamil movies on sundays at 5 pm and every time I saw him on TV I used to go crazy...especially the movies of him as a cop wearing khakis. The Patti downstairs who used to "baby-sit" me while Amma was away at work on saturdays, used to always rent out Superstar movies so I could forget the fact that Amma was away.. and just be at peace and leave her at peace as well. And thats when Guru-Sishyan, Rajadhi Raja, Raja Chinna Roja, Panakkaran, Mannan happened. He was my superstar right then.. the man who could beat up everyone and anyone that did wrong. In my mind, he was the protector of the good and the destroyer of evils!! :) Style was the very word that set him apart.. right from dialogue delivery to his movements. I absolutely adored him. "Super star yarunnu ketta chinna kozhandaiyum sollum" was my all time fav! I had infact deified him so much as a kid, that everytime I saw a movie with an actor especially a woman struggling with the villains, I was always hoping for him to appear from somewhere in the sky and save the moment. He was almost comparable to Krishna in Draupadi's "Oh God, Save me" scene from the epic!! :)
When I was in my teens, I thought he didn't look good enough and I was always cursing my "bad taste". I always wondered, but had no idea why and how he was my super hero when I was a kid! I was more after good looks like any other teenage girl. And I even remember laughing at a friend for saying Basha was a smashing hit.. and another for saying that a guy down south had watched Annamalai 137 times, had tattoeed "Rajini thunai" in his arm and had named his son after the protagonist. I missed out all of the superr duper hits of that era! But then just after I went to Pilani, I watched Padayappa and thats when my enthu for Thalaivar sky rocketed again. I was spellbound. His dialogue delivery, his style, his persona and demeanor.. everything about him just floored me. I always got an adrenalin rush and could never stop whistling/screaming praises of him. I was ALWAYS left with goose bumps when I watched his movies. He was the perfect icon. It was absolutelyyyyyyyyyy magical to watch him. I knew I'd become a passionate fan (like "You mean fans?? No no Fanatics!" (Thillu millu)) :P
And what need be said about his real life... It is an ABSOLUTE inspiration for anyone who wills to achieve. He was a carpenter who turned into a coolie who then turned into a bus conductor before he became an actor who grew into a super star. A brief story of his life has been published in the 6th std CBSE textbook to teach children the meaning of achievement and success. He defines humility, modesty, gratitude, good will and nobility. IMHO, if there is one person who truly deserves the title of a SUPER STAR, then its him..and ONLYYY him.
I could keep going on and on about him... but I won't. I absolutelllllyy love the man for his talent. His movies have been watched-rewatched and watched again a zillion times by me and a million others like me. Dialogues (and mods in the dialogues) like "Indha naal un calendar la kurichu vechhukko (Annamalai)", "Yenakkul thoongikittu irukkara singatha thattii ezhupitta (Annamalai)", "Koodave porandhadhu, ennikkum pogadhu (Padayappa)", "Ulleeee Po (Basha)", "Yenna nee yen nanban da (Thalapathi)" among many others are memorable for the very passion they exude. Im crazy about him and I'm actually very very proud of it. Period.
Thalaivaaaa.. as you turn 60 here's a prayer for your good health and happiness. True to the dialogue.. "Vayasaanalum un stylum azhagum innum onna vittu pogala!" May you never lose that charm and charisma!
Thalaivar vazhga! Thalaivar padam vazhga! :)

PS: Will never forget my fight with some aunties in a theater in NJ after watching Sivaji.
http://akaaraha.blogspot.com/2007/06/athiradeee-kaaran.html
:D :D

athiradeee kaaran...

A true Thalaivar fan cannot NOT whistle/scream/cheer when they c their superstar on screen. And well I being a hardcore Rajini fan, and sumone trained at the art of whistling (I don't care even if I brag about it..I know for a fact a lot of guys cudn't whistle..i mean 'seeti adikkardhu!!"), thats precisely wat I did when I saw the Boss for the 3rd time on screen on Saturday. And come on, thalaivar in the climax scene and the 'bajji kadai' scene ABSOULTELYYY rock. I mean the whole point of his flying in air for 2 mins and then landing on the ground, is only so that the fans can scream hysterically and cheer and worship him as he defies all laws of gravity! And I don't see any No-No's in displaying that passion and enthusiasm and excitement. But unfortunately not everyone in the theater felt the same way.. You expect people to realise that they are at a SuperStar's movie where ppl are bound to go craazzzyyyy (ofcourse within limits), and a lot of ppl infact pay to come to the theater and watch the crowd. However this time, and probably the first time in my life, I ended up having an argument with a pair of oldies in the theater.
I come out of the dark theater hall completely satisfied with my experience and I hear a pair of aunties (mite be 40-45) say... "Idhunga lam padikka varudha, velai panna varudha, illa whistle adikka varudhungala nnu therialai". I turned back to c who they were commenting about, and saw them looking at me with a kinda D look! I just walked out thinking..ok forget it. No point arguing here. I come out into the hallway, where the pair of them again give me the "look". I returned the D-look just as dutifully without saying a word...and walked out of the theater towards my car. My friends and I were standing outside discussing if it would be worth the experience to go for Sivaji in telugu, and after all the discussion, while my friends left, I saw the aunties inside. As I walked towards my car, I had this huge desire in me to go and talk to those aunties and find out wat their problem was in life. Honestly, I wudnt have cared if it were a bunch of guys jus passing a comment, but AUNTIES..mebbe a decade younger than my mom. I mean I REALLY wanted to know wat their purpose was in passing that comment.
So I wait for them to come outa the theater and confront them...

Me: Aunty, enna pathi edavdhu comment adicheengala??
Aunty/Aunties : Yen ammam..naanga edhuvum thappa sollaliye! What were u doing in the theater??
Me: Naan edhuvume pannaliye. I was jus sitting my place and whistling. And I was not the only one in the theater that did that!!
Aunty: Ya I know. But do u know the theaters a mess???
Me: Well, I dint tear any papers or fliers or anything. I was only sitting where I was and screaming and whistling.
Aunty (and now an uncle joins in..actually 2 uncles) : When u come for a movie, its a public place u should let the others watch the movie, not scream and shout.
Me: Aunty, neenga vandhirukardhu Superstar Rajini oda padam. Idhu oru youth movie. Inga vandhuttu whistle adikaadhey, kathadhey nna yaarum kekka maatanga!! Unga generation a yum enga generationa yum compare pannadheenga.

Inga daan seriaanaaaaaaa logic vuttaru andha uncleee...

Uncle: One second, This is the United States of America. People come to movies for some peace of mind. Do u scream like this at english movies???
Me: yes uncle, i do. At movies like Harry Potter and other youth movies I do. see peace of mind kku daan u have the comfort of watching the movie at home in a DVD. neenga public place kku vandhuttu adhuvum our youth padathukku vandhuttu kattadhey nnu sonna, its ridiculous. And well watever be it, those comments u passed were completely unwarranted.

Me to me: Yow, enda orru nyayam ya idhu...india la madras la thalaivar padathula whistle adikkalam thappu illa. Aana US of A la tamizh padathula whistle adicha thappu. Asingamaaana logic!! Theater nadatharavane onnum sollalai about the movie and the screaming...ivanga eppadi appidi oru comment pass pannalam!

Uncle: Illa..let me finish...
Me: Illa uncle, I dont think u need to finish what ur saying. Cos I dont think it matters or its gonna make any difference. Neenga solli its not gonna affect me in any way. ungalakku appidi comfort venumna veetla okkandhu padatha paarunga, velila vandhuttu ellarayum neenga expect pannara maadri nadakanum nnu expect panna deenga. And for hte last time, its a rajinikanth movie...

We ended the fite here and walked towards our respective cars. Meanwhile my friends came back wondering wat I was doing...and so did a lot of other students in the crowd, wondering why a GIRL was arguing like this..

Now honestly, I think the bigger problem was bcos I am a girl and I was whistling and screaming my lungs out. I dont think they would have bothered to pass a comment about all the guys that were in the theater doing the same thing that I did. But ponnu na panna koodadhu nnu avangaloda karuthu.. adhu yen?? I mean Im not here to justify an issue of gender bias or sumthing. And am not sumbody who goes about picking up an argument with every oldie I c..and not that i disrespect them, but the point that irritated me was when they said.. This is the US ofA..inga idhellam panna koodadhu!! Wat crap???? appidiye america naatu janathipathi ivanga lam!!

ennamo..thalaivar pera solli sandaye pottachu! orey adhiradee kaalam daan!! :) Avanga logic suthama sahikkalai..enna porutha varikkum naan pannadhula enda thappum illa! My only big wish...I wish they sit NEXT to me during dasavatharam/varanam aayiram or the next vijay movie, so I can show them how to whistle too!!
Jus found it very amusing!! :)