Exactly 50 years ago, an anxious young actor Adir stood outside a bungalow gate in Madras. Shooting needed to open the gate and push it inwards.
It was a low-angle shot that the film’s director, K Balchander, imagined for this special sequence, and it took the actor, then a novice tried to find his feet in Tamil cinema, taking it more than five to correct it. This was his first shot for the big screen, and moving the gate forward – quite literally – mark his entry into Tamil films.
That actor is none other but Rajinikanth, and the film, Apoorva Ragangal (Released on August 18, 1975),
Cut in 2025, and ‘superstar’, as Rajinikanth is widely called by fans, is waiting for the release of his upcoming film, CoolieDirected by Lokesh Kanagarj.
August 2025 not only marks CoolieRelease. It also marks 50 -year -old actor Rajinikanth.
The residence in Adir where Rajinikanth’s first film, Apoorva Ragangal, was shot in 1975. Photo Credit: Shivraj S
Residence
Rajinikanth shot from fifty years later Apoorva RagangalIn Adir, that house is still standing, and is in ancient state. The place where the actor distributes his first lines (‘Bhairavi Vedu Eden’?) Where he moves trees up in a parked scooter and backdrop … They are all too much, reminiscent of a day that will change the fate of Tamil cinema for good.
Unfortunately, the gate that Rajinikanth pushed into the film was replaced by a modern design by his current owners 10 years ago. However, everything else at home remains the same as it was in the 1975 film, which was first shared by Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan (hero of the film).
Directed by Balachandar K Balchandar, the late famous filmmaker Apoorva Ragangal Some Tamil cinema will be remembered as a complex on relationships by fans. But many fans will also remember that it is the beginning of Rajinikanth, a person who came from a humble beginning and became one of the biggest superstars in the country.
While the film focused on the dramatic cameo on the climax of Kamal Haasan, Major Sundararajan, Srividya and Jayasudha, Rajinikanth. As K Balachander quoted in the book of writer Naman Rachandran, Rajinikanth: The definite biography“When i introduced it Apoorva RagangalIt was a small role but people would remember him as he comes to the climax. So I thought that I would give him this special role. ,
50 years of Rajinikanth: Inside Adir House where superstar starts, ‘Apoorva Ragangal’ was shot video credit: Shivraj S | Srinivas Ramanujam
But this conductor-actor-actor Shivaji Rao had no cakewalk for Gakwad, as Rajinikanth was known when Balchandar decided to cry again. He allegedly took tips from the popular comedian Nagesh, who also had a small role in the film, which was for the off-screen explanation of the scene to get rid of the nervousness of the director.
Rajinikanth has made mass progress since the first day of shooting at this Adyar House – which was on Thursday (March 27, 1975). His on-screen personality and style have attained him millions of fans worldwide. Today, he owns a residence in the posh neighborhood of Pose Garden, but his incomplete dreams are buying a house where he stood as a young actor for the first time. In an interview for Zee Tamil during the promotion of director Shankar 2.0 In 2018, the actor said, “I have gone to that house in Adyar after some time after raising it. I wanted to buy it. It came for sale but before we went ahead, someone else bought it.”
The current owners of the property, who bought a house in 1979, have known very little changes about the rich cinematic history associated with their residence and thus how it was 50 years ago. But they also request an oblivion and privacy – because they are a bit careful with the Rajinikanth fans, who descend unannounced at their door.
Kamal Haasan, K Balchander and Rajinikanth | Photo Credit: Kavitlaya Productions
Name Game: How ‘Rajinikanth’ was born
Young aspiration actor Shivaji Rao Gakwad was offered three options to change his name by filmmaker Balachander, as that name was already a popular film star (Shivaji Ganesan). There were three options: Chandrakant, Srikanth and Rajinikanth. The third option, which was eventually chosen, was actually inspired by the name of one of the characters of Balachander, which was previously directed (‘Major Chandrakanth’, 1966).
This was again the first day of Christ and the shooting on the day when Holi was celebrated in 1975, and therefore, the actor considers this festival close to his heart. Every year, on the day of Holi, Rajinikanth will apparently make a point to call Balachander, who died in 2014.
Do you know that ‘Apoorva Ragangal’ released the same week by the Hindi cult classic ‘Sholay’? With the song music and Kannadasana by Ms. Vishwanathan, the film won the National Film Award for Best Film in Tamil, Best Cinematography Award for Lokanathan and Best Women Playback Singer Award for Wani Jeram. In his review, The Hindu wrote: ‘The newcomer Rajinikanth is prestigious and impressive.’
Published – August 06, 2025 01:31 pm IST
