Portal:Hindi cinema/Selected biography/9

Rajinikanth (born 12 December 1950) is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his début as an actor in the National Film Award–winning Tamil film Apoorva Raagangal (1975), directed by Rajinikanth's mentor K. Balachander. After a brief phase of portraying antagonistic characters in Tamil films, he gradually rose to become an established film actor. Within a few years, he was acclaimed as the superstar of Tamil cinema and continues to hold a matinee idol status in the popular culture of India. His mannerisms and stylised delivery of dialogue in films contribute to his mass popularity and appeal. After being paid ₹26 crore (US$5.9 million) for his role in Sivaji (2007), he became the highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan. Rajinikanth has worked in over 150 films across various film industries of India. He was bestowed the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour, in the year 2000 for his contributions towards the arts. Other than acting, Rajinikanth has also worked as a producer and screenwriter.