40 years being a celebrity, and a cinema star with a huge fan following - One of the experts from a leading management school, specializing in sociology and statistics said in 2007 that 'There are only 2 kinds of people in Tamil Nadu now : one, Those who have watched Sivaji, two, Those who haven't' - 40 years being a celebrity, and a cinema star with a huge fan following Rajini canvased or put forward his face for promotions only in two occassions :
1/ Polio Vaccine Campaign in 1980 (Director SP Muthuraman, starring Manorama) for Rotary Club of Madras. After his massive success Murattu Kalai, the film that landed him in every rural door step, Rajini participated for Polio Eradication cause, adressing to the rural citizens. The reach of the message was clearly visible when a record number of vaccinations were registered even from petty villages.
2/ Eye Donation in 1987 for Sankara Nethralaya Madras (& EBAI) which featured during the screening of Velaikaran, and in the same year he promoted the message on the podium during the Silver Jubilee honoring function of AVM's Manithan before the chief Guest Dr. Badrinath. The sucess of the campaign was mainly due to the sentence that Rajini used - 'I have donated my eyes', which turned to be a game changer in the promotions and EBAI (Eye Bank Association of India) expressed their benefit by citing the number of applied donnors that/following year(s). Media published Rajini as "Eye Opener".
The promotions were done for free of cost, and not publised after like his salary was divided to the needy, for that Rajini never talks about money when it comes to charity. Raghavendra Trusts operates to the definition of a Trustee Body - its for people's cause - ex. Anna Hazare Meeting & recently, doors opened during flood. Many social meeting were held there, gossipmongers could deny, but the truth is they were all free of cost, if the cause is proven to be for the soceity.
His recent appearence in ISL Football along with Sachin & Amitab was iconic, Rajini & Football date longtime - Pachayappa play ground, any Vijayakanth fan will know the game.
Twice he was contacted by bottling companies in 1980 & 2004. Both were for an amount that exceeded multiple times the value fixed for the said period. The former he rejected immediately, but for the latter he agreed as the contract was charming - no promotions, no acting in ad-films, no propaganda on TV, but only his photo on the bottle. But the very next day he rejected that offer too.
His public appearence dress codes were simple - 'Rajini Jubba (white or black)' & 'Rajini Sandals' were the most marked ones. For extremely important felicitation functions, he wore a shirt (normaly stripped or just plain white), a dark pantaloon with dark leather shoes. No trade-marks over any textiles and accessories he ported.
Eventhough his friend's and family members were handling several tie-ups and buisness affairs, he was aloof from every single affair at least while going public. But he never shrugged to come to aid, if an actor or film maker beleived, his cameo in the movie could lift the film. He readily accepted such kind of offers throughout his bright carrier, or made sure to promote a film through his appreciations by inviting the team to his residence, or congragulating each one in their proper film's sucess.
In his reel life, he was very particular about the products to be shown - used by the character he played. In films, all his costumes looks local, the items were familiar ones, only regular products. His movies does not carry any advertisements nor shows him carrying anything that's prominent. For Audio-Visual purposes, TV being the nex generation entertainment which is the backbone to entertainment industry, in Nallavanukku Nallavan Dynora Color TV flashes during credits.
As any buisnessman Rajini makes money, because he is clever in what he is doing. Its absurd to ask an Oral Care products which are present in anyon'e day to day life to give back what they got from their customers or do wellfare activities in regular basis. Similarly, an artist is no different, but irony is that the ones involved with Cinema are scrotonised by fans & media mercilessly, thanks to all gossip coloumns printed to increase the sale.
As a social figure, Rajini practises 'Live and Let Live'. Its absurd to compare Rajini-the Buisnessman with Rajini-the Surperstar to Rajini-the Simple Man. It does not need any rational thinking to infer, but just a faithful thought is enough.
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