Rajini Rule - There is only one Rule : There ain't none - and then Rajini Ruled.
An artist's carrier is like a mechanical wave, the longitudinal and transverse wave motion calculated by hits and flops. Every artist gets a chance to the peak in his carrier, normally known as Golden Period. Usually it stays a decade long, and how the artist sustains, he retains. As usual, in Rajini case it was different. Nineties were not Golden Age for Rajini, but something beyond, like a modernity in time. The nineties not only catapulted the phenomenon called Rajinikanth, it looked as though the nature was at his call too. Fifteen years after his official entry into the celluloid industry, a new on screen Rajinikanth was reborn, with all new hair style and a even brighter charismatic attire, and that made this peroid proud to be called as Platinum Age.
The nineties was not only about films, it about the audience and their reations too. Rajini Films in the nineties completely tranformed the viewers experience, thus a new genre was born - Rajinikanth. He was no more just an actor, but a part of the film itself. When artists were trying to go through the script, in Rajini case, the script bended itself to run into the genre called Rajinikanth. In a nut shell, the base of the characters he played is of a 'righteous-man', but the themes that were handled and the suituations which were created, makes the Nineties Rajini Films interesting & entertaining.
During the coarse of several months, I had put out songs on various Themes, and if you had paid attention, the list will be topped by a Rajini song from the films he had acted in the nineties. I always felt that the areas that Rajini had covered is quite vast and a Rajini Film contained everything within itself. Its was kind of break to the film makers to explore a pattern that governs by itself - Hero Based Plots. Further came 'new-gen' film makers, who quickly understood the Rajini Formula, that decades have passed but it is yet fade.
RDRS
Rajini starred in various films in the nineties, taking up different roles :
- a man who shoulders his friend
- a soul in search of a body
- an orphan in the path of finding his origins
- a brother who gives himself for his sibblings
- a friend who is offended by his companion
- a brother who set forward the path of righteousness
- a married man who is stuck between love & responsibility
- a father
- a police officier
- a worker
- a don
- an entrepreneur
- above all, the ultimate man, who fights with the ego.
In all these characters, 'hand-made' for Rajini himself, takes on the evil sheding light to the human nature, and elaborated that 'excuse' is the right path to harmony. Rajini battles forward on screen to counter each attempt against himself, and when the rest get tired doing so, Rajini keeps going even faster than before. All contained within but expressed through variety of roles. His look got remodified, hinted for the first time in the late eighties (Vellaikaran & Rajathi Raja), it was highly from Pannakaran that his attire got fixed. The opening scene as a garçon in a restaurant marked his entry to the Nineties - Rags to Riches - in his latest film Lingaa (2014) he plays a role of a Raja.
In any actor's carrier, for that in any buisness oriented industry there are important aspects that come ahead of a Profit. The first and foremost is the Image, followed by Growth, exercised by Development (new ideas), surrounded by Fans (customers), aided by an efficient entourage (employees) and finally the Profit. The nineties saw Rajini exercising every bit of it to his benefit. Rajini played an important role in setting an unique trend, both in the industry as well as amoung the audience that all that one heard was 'Rajini Padam' (a Rajini starrer) and no question asked, but all shows House Full. Thus, Rajini started to explore more into several zones, with different film makers and essaying various roles, but keeping one thing fix - to be a Super-Hero you have to poccess the Power - The Screen Power.
Rajini effortlessly wiped out the audience range. Its the period where his fans, like myself, told him right at his face "Thalaiva Nee Vantha Mattum Potham" [your mere screen presence is enough]. His colloborations with various artists & techniciens in the field, and the measures he took to keep us entertained, showered him with more love and sucess in equal measures.
Finally, his movies just minted money. The FDFS got an entirely different tone ...
I saw "Sathurangam" some time in late 90's.. Had a wonderful song by SPB +VJ called "Madanotsavam rathi odu thaan", that is only thing I remember about the movie, didn't realise it had yt another "SS and snake " episode
Om Namaste astu Bhagavan Vishveshvaraya Mahadevaya Triambakaya Tripurantakaya Trikalagni kalaya kalagnirudraya Neelakanthaya Mrutyunjayaya Sarveshvaraya Sadashivaya Shriman Mahadevaya Namah Om Namah Shivaye Om Om Namah Shivaye Om Om Namah Shivaye
Om Namaste astu Bhagavan Vishveshvaraya Mahadevaya Triambakaya Tripurantakaya Trikalagni kalaya kalagnirudraya Neelakanthaya Mrutyunjayaya Sarveshvaraya Sadashivaya Shriman Mahadevaya Namah Om Namah Shivaye Om Om Namah Shivaye Om Om Namah Shivaye
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