How Rajinikanth avoids ego: ‘I go to the mountains, clean floors, sleep on the ground’

As Rajinikanth celebrates his 75th birthday today, an old anecdote shared by Chaalbaaz director Pankaj Parashar offers a rare glimpse into the Tamil superstar’s humility, simplicity, and unmatched on-screen instinct.

Speaking to NDTV earlier, Parashar recalled how Rajinikanth, despite being a massive Tamil cinema icon, instantly understood that Chaalbaaz was centred around Sridevi. “Rajinikanth is incredibly sharp,” he said. “He realised Chaalbaaz was Sridevi's film. If he played the arrogant, superhero Rajinikanth, it wouldn't work. So, he turned it into a comedy.”

Parashar said Rajinikanth improvised many of the comedic moments that made his character endearing. “He agreed to play the underdog, a man who gets scared, something most superstars would never do. He improvised brilliantly.