ENTHIRAN'S Superstar Rajni Inspires Divine Devotion
With South Indian matinee idol Rajnikanth's sci-fi thriller Endhiran tipped to release next week, his fans are going the extra mile, literally, to ensure its success. According to local media, as many as 100 ardent Rajnikanth fans aged 14 to 60 today embarked on a three-hour divine pilgrimage to ensure the film's box-office success.
Fans of the bus conductor-turned-superstar reportedly climbed as many as 1,305 steps of the Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Sholingur, about 120km from Chennai and performed special prayers for the success of Endhiran. Some even undertook the climb on their knees.
This is not the first time supporters of the star have undertaken such endeavours. In the past, Rajnikanth's posters have been bathed with milk and flowers for good luck. Major processions usually mark the release of his films and animal sacrifices made for the film's success.
The 60-year-old actor, who completes 30 years in the industry this year, has also been deified.
Meanwhile, Rajnikanth will also take off on a trek to the Himalayas next week immediately after watching the first run of his film Endhiran.
The much-hyped film, made on a lavish budget of Rs160 billion, also stars Bollywood's reigning queen Aishwarya Rai, and has been billed as the most expensive Indian film ever.
That's right. Film stars in South India are revered as heroes and sometimes nearly deified, in fact, his fans have implored the Superstar to enter politics, even going so far as to create a political party in Tamilnadu for him to lead! So far he has declined, but if he so chose he could be a very important man in politics. There is much precedent for this, including his Tollywood counterpart, Chiranjeevi, who abandoned acting for a political career and won a position in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Chiranjeevi is set to return to starring in films again next year.
So, next time you think you're supporting your favorite actor, director, writer, musician, etc, don't think about what they can do for you, think about how much more you could be doing for them!
