Rajinikanth Worked As A Coolie, Carpenter And Bus Conductor, Faced Poverty, Decided To End His Life

Hailed as Thalaivar of the South Indian cinema, Rajinikanth holds a ‘God-like’ status among the masses. He is one of the most worshipped actors and enjoys humongous stardom. His status in the South Indian film industry is such that the actor cannot die in any of the films as his fans would vandalise the theatres.

Born as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad into a Marathi family in Karnataka, Rajinikanth had a very humble beginning. However, since childhood, he was inclined towards cinema and wanted to pursue acting. After making his debut in Apoorva Raagangal, Rajinikanth played the role of a crime boss in the movie Baasha, which earned him immense fame.

Rajinikanth is currently leading the headlines for his much-anticipated film, Coolie. As per reports, the 72-year-old actor has charged a whopping sum of Rs. 260-280 crore for the film, which was made on a budget of Rs. 400 crores. Though Rajini is the highest-paid actor currently, there was a time when he faced extreme poverty, so much that he once contemplated suicide.

Rajinikanth worked as a collie, carpenter and a bus conductor

The man, who is treated as a God in India has no filmy background, six packs or the quintessential looks of a hero, but despite all this, he made it to the top. Born in a middle-class family, Rajini’s father was a Police constable, while his mother was a homemaker. He lost his mother at a very young age and struggled a lot in his growing-up years.

Many of us know that he worked as a bus conductor, but before that, Rajinikanth worked as a coolie and carpenter to make ends meet. He later landed a job as a bus conductor at Bangalore Transport Service (BTS) and earned a salary of Rs. 750.

Rajinikanth contemplated suicide after facing extreme poverty

The name and fame enjoyed by Rajinikanth currently was something he aspired to during his struggling days. He was the youngest among his siblings and started working early, but the poverty he faced made him take the extreme step of suicide. Speaking at a musical event conducted by his wife, Latha, he once said:

“Everyone knows I was a bus conductor. But before that, I used to be an office boy, then a coolie, then a carpenter. Only then did I become a conductor. I did all that because I was born into a poor family. I knew poverty not by seeing or hearing about it but by experiencing it. I had an immense drive to become rich. I have never feared anything in my life even when I was young. But once I was very scared and I decided to commit suicide. That’s when I saw a painting of a godman and people were doing puja. Seeing him, I decided to push the decision to another day.”

Rajinikanth charmed people as a bus conductor

There was something unique about Rajinikanth that he tasted fame way before he entered cinema. During his days as a bus conductor, Rajini’s aura captivated many. It is believed that people would skip many buses to be on the bus where Rajini worked. The actor’s signature moves of flipping his hair, handling sunglasses and flicking a cigarette were a part of his life as a bus conductor.

His iconic gestures came naturally to him. In a candid interview during a cultural show, Rajini spoke about the same and said:

“In those days, women used to sit in the front rows, and the men used to sit in the back rows in Karnataka buses. Generally, the conductor would finish giving the tickets and stay in the back. But I used to stand right in the front. I used to have a lot of hair, and when the breeze rustled through it, and it started getting unruly, I would just flip my hair back in place.”

It was Tamil director K. Balachandran who saw Rajinikanth’s talent and advised him to learn Tamil, and this changed his life. The director introduced Rajini in his 1975 film, Apoorva Ragangal, and since then, there has been no looking back for him.

Did you know Rajinikanth contemplated suicide? Let us know.

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