South superstar Rajinikanth is celebrating his 75th birthday on 12, December 2025. On this special occasion, fans, actors, and celebrities from the film industry are wishing him on social media. Rajinikanth is considered the biggest icon of Tamil cinema. He is popularly known as Thalaivaa, but very few people know his real name and where he hails from. If you are thinking that he is from Tamil Nadu, then you are wrong and if your answer is Telangana, Andhra, Kerala, or Karnataka then you will also be proved wrong. Let us tell you from where the actor hails.
Rajinikanth comes from this family background
Actually, the real name of Rajinikanth is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, and he belongs to a Marathi family, which means he has roots in Maharashtra. Now, if you are eager to know how this happened and how he came to Chennai, let us explain.
When was Rajinikanth born?
Rajinikanth was born in Bangalore on December 12, 1950. His parents, Ramabai and Ramoji Rao Gaekwad, hailed from the Marathi-speaking lot who settled in Karnataka. His family had migrated from Maharashtra to Karnataka many years earlier. Rajinikanth grew up in a typical Marathi-speaking family, following the language and traditions of Marathis, though living in Karnataka. He was a staunch Marathi, but his life had something else in store for him.
When Rajinikanth entered the Tamil film industry
Rajinikanth’s life brought him to Tamil Nadu, where he started his acting career. He joined the Madras Film Institute, where his career was launched. There he was spotted by K. Balachander, one of the famous Tamil cinema directors, who gave him a film launch. Rajinikanth started his acting career with the 1975 film Apoorva Raagangal, where he played a small role.
The director of this film, K. Balachander, recognised his talent and gave him the opportunity to work in several other films. Much of Rajinikanth’s early days saw him do several small negative roles, but his style, dialogue delivery, and charismatic on-screen personality quickly made him a superstar. For years, people assumed Rajinikanth was Tamil, but his family and roots have always been Maharashtrian.
Rajinikanth’s impressive filmography
At 75, Rajinikanth is still active in acting. He recently starred in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s film Coolie with Soubin Shahir and Nagarjuna Akkineni. He is working on the sequel to his hit film Jailer 2, featuring Nelson Dilipkumar and music by Anirudh Ravichander.
He has also announced the sequel to his classic film Padayappa, currently titled Neelambari: Padayappa 2, although the story details are not out yet. At 75 years, the charisma and magic of Rajinikanth are still the same for his fans. On this birthday, he has received several wishes right across the country and from the Tamil film industry; the memories of Thalaivaa’s films and their career will stay alive in people’s hearts forever.
