From Apoorva Raagangal to Enthiran: Revisiting Rajinikanth’s most iconic negative roles ahead of his birthday

Rajinikanth, one of Indian cinema’s biggest icons, is set to turn 74 on December 12. The actor began his career in 1975 and soon emerged as the undisputed ‘hero of the masses’ with his stylish reel mannerisms and striking screen presence.?

While everyone is aware of his unparalleled body of work, some may not remember that he actually started his career as a villain. Yes, you heard it right Rajini was the go-to star for negative roles during his initial years in the industry. He, however, eventually transitioned to lead roles and the rest is history. Today, let us turn back the clock and take a look at five times ‘Thalaivar’ played a bad man on the big screen.?

Apoorva Raagangal (1975)

Rajinikanth impressed fans with his portrayal of an abusive husband in Apoorva Raagangal, which marked his big screen debut. It was directed by K Balachanfer and centred on romantic relationships between people from different generations. Apoorva Raagangal, which featured Kamal Haasan in the lead, was later remade in Hindi as Ek Nai Paheli.?

16 Vayathinile (1977)

The Bharathirajaa-helmed film featured Rajinikanth in the role of a village rogue who harasses a schoolgirl (Sridevi). He was at his menacing best in the scenes where he lusted for the leading lady. The film received rave reviews upon its release and soon attended cult status. Moreover, Rajinikanth won the Arima Sangam Award for his work in 16 Vayathinile .?

Gayathri (1977)

Gayathri was a hard-hitting crime thriller that left the audience spellbound with its raw and realistic narrative. The film saw Rajinikanth essay the role of a manipulative producer of p*rn films who secretly films his intimate moments with his wife(sridevi) and then makes her his captive. ‘Superstar’ played the role with utmost conviction and added a new layer to the movie. Gayathri? was based on Sujatha’s novel of the same name.?

Netrikann (1981)

SP Muthuramam gave Rajinikanth a chance to showcase his versatility to the fullest when he cast him in two distinct roles in Netrikann. He played the role of a rapist as well as his son in the classic. Rajinikanth’s portrayal of the first character was as chilling as it gets. The K Balachander-directed drama emerged as a commercial success. It also served as the inspiration behind the Govinda-led Rangeela Raja.?

Enthiran (2010)

One of the most ambitious Tamil films of all time, Enthiran was a sci-fi thriller that featured Rajinikanth in a double role and helped him floor the audience like never before. The Shankar-directed biggie centred on Chitti, a robot, who falls for Sana (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), his creator Dr Vaseegaran’s girlfriend.?

Rajinikanth was at his best in the the second half as he tried to make Sana his by kidnapping her and making like a living hell for Vaseegaran. His iconic ‘black sheep’ dialogue was one of the highlights of the film.?

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