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Did you know K Balachander changed Rajinikanth's name from Shivaji Rao Gaekwad because of his skin color?
While everyone knows the god of Indian cinema Thalaivar as Rajinikanth, read to know why he changed his name from Shivaji.
Undoubtedly, Rajinikanth is regarded as the ‘God’ of Indian cinema. With his dapper looks, exceptional acting, and unique personality, he has been ruling millions of hearts for over 4 decades. His identity as Rajinikanth has become so popular that people often forget that his real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad. Yes, Rajinikanth is his screen name but do you know how and why the superstar changed his name? In this article, we will be exploring how Shivaji became Rajinikanth.
In his biography, Rajinikanth: A Life, penned by Vaasanthi, an excerpt from the book reveals Rajinikanth’s early days in showbiz and how he got his name while shooting for his debut Tamil film Apoorva Raagangal with Kamal Haasan and Srividya. It was film director K Balachander, who advised the Jailer actor to change his name to avoid confusion with fellow actor Sivaji Ganesan.
As quoted by the Deccan Herald during a meeting with Rajinikanth, Balachander said, "I told him your name will be Rajinikanth. He pronounced it twice and said, Ok.” For the unversed, Sivaji Ganesan was a popular face in the Tamil Industry. Interestingly, even this was not his real name. The Karnan actor was born Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy but later adopted Sivaji Ganesan as his stage name.
Coming back to the Vettaiyan actor, after discussions, Balachander came up with the ‘Rajinikanth’ name for the actor. It is pertinent to mention that the filmmaker took the name from a character name in the film he had directed in 1996 called Major Chandrakanth. Actor A V M Rajan played Rajinikanth in the N T Ramarao starrer.
It is worth mentioning that the name literally means 'color of the night' and it was a remark on the Shivaji Rao's skin color. And thus Rajinikanth was born. Besides Rajinikanth, the legendary actor is also called ‘Thalaivar’ fondly by his fans and well-wishers.
As mentioned in his biography, it was on a full-moon Holi night, the festival of colors, that K Balachander christened Shivaji Rao as Rajinikanth. Meanwhile, on the work front, Rajinikanth will be seen in his upcoming film with T. J. Gnanavel in Vettaiyan. Apart from him, the film will feature Fahadh Faasil, Amitabh Bachchan, Manju Warrier, Dushara Vijayan, and several others in prominent roles. Moreover, Rajinikanth will also be seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie with brilliant actors like Nagarjuna and Shruti Haasan.
How excited are you for the upcoming films of Thalaiver? Tell us in the comments.
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