I haven’t watched “Kabali” and probably won’t till it comes on TV. But nothing will change how I feel about Rajnikanth.. for me he was and remains the enduring Superstar. He is probably one of the few stars who deserves the star status – he doesn’t go around “hunting” endangered species, doesn’t run over people sleeping on the pavement and doesn’t have a dad who apologises for his mistakes !
I read Manu Joseph’s brilliant piece on Rajnikanth on the eve of Kabali’s release and Rajesh Balasubramanian’s even more brilliant rebuttal of that article. My blog is neither a rebuttal nor in favor of what Manu Joseph or Rajesh Balasubramanian wrote. Both have a flair for writing and I have had the privilege of meeting Manu Joseph in 2014 when we ended up in the same resort for a couple of days. I didn’t know who he was and later realised that I had met a rather well known personality. If I hadn’t had that chance meeting I might have shredded his piece on Rajnikanth, because when you don’t meet a person, the license to be vile is somehow assumed and used liberally.
How many of us are not Greek Gods and Goddesses , come from humble backgrounds, go to the edge of mental sanity when mega success hits us, get addicted to every habit that doesn’t let us remain healthy and still have reserves of mental strength and will power to pull ourselves out ?? This man has done it …. if that is not a super star human being, who is ? That you retain a shred of humility once your bank account has a six digit balance, is commendable, but here’s someone whose bank account has several more digits than six as balance, and remains as humble as ever…. if you pass him by on the street, sans makeup, he is another old man with grey hair and a receding hairline. But get makeup on him, a wig on his head and he transforms into this Superstar on screen. A much venerated fellow “superstar” continues to wear a stylish wig to hide his bald pate. How many vain narcissistic “stars” have the gumption to walk around without their inch thick makeup and coloured hair or transplanted hair or a well fitted wig?
A genuine Superstar is one who is comfortable in his skin because he sends a powerful message that showbiz is not reality and you should have a healthy self esteem for the way you look and your body image. A size zero is unhealthy, but once a star shows off her skeleton in a skimpy bikini, every little girl thinks thats the figure to attain to ! Being inhuman is made fashionable as my current pet Superstar demonstrates by getting away scot free in every case that he is implicated in and sharing his knowledge about how a woman walks after she is raped…. Rajni is anyday a real Superstar compared to these reel Superstars.
A Superstar is not flawless, but someone who learns from his/her mistakes, puts in genuine efforts and remains human. Rajni has gone a step further, he has remained normal and for that he shall always be a SUPER-DUPER star.
Mavane, Neruppu da !!