A SIMPLE BUT STYLISH man is a conductor on bus number 10A in erstwhile Bangalore (now Bengaluru). Elsewhere, an innocent milkman leads a contented life.
One day, the conductor’s bus-driver friend urges him to join the Adyar Film Institute in Madras (now Chennai). Another day, the milkman’s wealthy hotelier best friend betrays him.
The aspiring actor gets noticed by the noted Tamil film director K. Balachander, who offers him a role in his movie and rechristens him. The enraged milkman vows to become more successful than his friend.
The actor ascends from negative roles to stardom, acting in more than 170 films over the next 50 years. The milkman toils over the next 15 years to become a wealthy hotelier, while his friend descends into a downward financial spiral.
The reigning ‘superstar’ of the Tamil film industry makes fans go crazy well into his twilight years. The milkman wins the challenge and reconciles with his repentant friend.
These are both tropes of a rags-to-riches story worthy of a commercial potboiler. But one is the real-life tale of Shivaji Rao Gaekwad who became ‘Rajinikanth’. The latter is the plot of the 1992 film Annamalai that transformed him from a star into the aforementioned superstar.
This story is from the November 12, 2023 edition of Business Today India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 12, 2023 edition of Business Today India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Dark Side Of Gold Loans
There Has Been A Sharp Rise In Gold Loans In Recent Years. But There Is A Seedier Side To This, As Is Evident From The Red Flag The RBI Raised Recently. Will The Regulator's Move Protect Customers?
All That Glitters
The price of gold has been rising unabated. It has soared to more than 73,000 per 10 gm in 2024 from *31,000 in early 2018. Is the rally sustainable or is this a bubble?
"Hire for attitude, not ability"
Thryve Digital is a player in the healthcare technology sector delivering next-generation solutions
Road Warrior
For Khalid Wani, Senior Director of Sales at Western Digital India, life is much more than just the corner office. Biking across the world is one way he derives meaning for his life
WIDENING THE POOL
THERE HAS BEEN A JUMP IN INDIVIDUALS INVESTING DIRECTLY IN THE STOCK MARKETS, BUT MUMBAI AND AHMEDABAD STILL ACCOUNT FOR THE LION'S SHARE. THERE DEFINITELY IS SCOPE FOR IMPROVEMENT IN TERMS OF PENETRATION LEVELS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
CRISIS IN THE CLOUDS
INDIAN AVIATION IS IN CRISIS. AIRLINES ARE GRAPPLING WITH FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS, CREW SHORTAGES, AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT POOR SERVICE, ARE BLEEDING DUE TO RISING COSTS WILL THE FASTEST-GROWING AVIATION MARKET RECOVER?
"India should start privatising public sector banks"
Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, on growth, inequality, jobs, the banking sector, and more
"I LET MY WORK DO THE TALKING"
Megha Engineering & Infrastructures MD P.V. Krishna Reddy on being low profile, the infra opportunity and much more
"Core of insurance lies in long-term security"
Vibha Padalkar, MD & CEO of HDFC Life, on the insurance provider's performance, surrender charges, and future innovations
Distress in the Books
Bandhan Bank, the brainchild of Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, has made the journey from an MFI to a bank, but with many hurdles. Now with his resignation as MD & CEO, is the lender staring at more uncertainty?