Rajinikanth was born as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad on 12 December 1950 in Bangalore, Mysore State, India, now Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was born into a Marathi-speaking family and was the fourth child of Ramoji Rao Gaekwad, a police constable, and Jijabai.
Before entering the film industry, Rajinikanth worked in several jobs, most famously as a bus conductor with the Bangalore Transport Service. His interest in acting led him to join the Madras Film Institute, where he received formal acting training.
He made his film debut with Apoorva Raagangal (1975), directed by K. Balachander. Initially, he appeared mainly in supporting and negative roles, but his distinctive acting style and screen presence soon helped him become a leading star.
During the late 1970s and 1980s, Rajinikanth established himself as one of South India's biggest stars with films such as Mullum Malarum, Aarilirunthu Arubathuvarai, Billa, and Murattu Kaalai. His popularity expanded beyond Tamil cinema as he appeared in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Bengali productions.
Rajinikanth achieved enormous commercial success with films such as Baashha, Muthu, Padayappa, Sivaji, and Enthiran. His films and distinctive style have earned him a massive following not only in India but also internationally.
He has received several major honours, including the Padma Bhushan (2000), Padma Vibhushan (2016), and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2019). In 2025, the Government of India also highlighted his completion of 50 years in the film industry while congratulating him on his 75th birthday.