Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth are bonafide superstars and incomparable legends of Indian cinema. What they have achieved in the field of cinema would define Indian cinema for generations to come. In the 1980s, Rajinikanth made a major mark for himself as the Superstar of Tamil cinema, by starring in several masala potboilers, many of which were remakes of Amitabh’s Hindi films. Rajinikanth has always spoken about their unshakeable bond, and how he considers the Cheeni Kum actor as an inspiration. In fact, after three decades, they recently reunited for the Tamil film, Vettaiyan, which marked the octagenarian’s debut Tamil film. In an interview with Doordarshan ahead of receiving the IFFI Golden Jubilee Icon Award in 2019, Rajinikanth opened up about the one piece of advice from Amitabh that he continues to carry to this day. ALSO READ: ‘Rajinikanth is the first to reach sets, often coming 1.5 hours before shoot begins’: Lokesh Kanagaraj compares him to Kamal Haasan, Vijay “One should keep oneself busy. That is the most important, especially when you become 50 and above,” said Rajinikanth, who attributed this important piece of guidance to his long-time friend and collaborator Amitabh Bachchan. Calling him a ‘great inspiration’, Rajinikanth said that he is often advised by the thespian to keep himself busy. “He’s also often told me the importance of doing what I like to do without bothering about ‘what would people say’ and I live by it,” said the Petta actor. When he was asked about the one piece of advice he would give to young acting aspirants, Rajinikanth paid forward his learnings, and said, “First of all, enjoy your work. They should enjoy acting, and that is very important,” said the Tamil superstar, who then spoke about the most striking aspect of his own persona that has become a lesson for many in the industry. Irrespective of the mass image on screen, Rajinikanth is an image of humility off it, and dares to shed his ‘onscreen style’ to revel in his offscreen comfort of not wearing a wig or makeup. Talking about maintaining this look, Rajinikanth said, “It is simply about comfort. I am already wearing a wig, makeup, and acting in front of the camera. Why should I put up all that and act off camera too. I like being the way I am.” ALSO READ: Rajinikanth recalls how Amitabh Bachchan had to sell his home, work 18 hours a day to pay off debt: ‘He went to Yash Chopra’s home wearing monkey cap…’ On the movie front, Rajinikanth is currently working on Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie, which also stars the likes of Nagarjuna, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, and Soubin Shahir. Post Coolie, he is expected to begin working on the much-awaited Jailer 2, the sequel to Nelson’s Jailer (2023).
