A book on Rajnikanth at Chennai365

THE STAR IS BOOK-ED: Rajni - Vichatra, Vishashta, Vikshipta has been launched in all 4 south Indian languages.

Over 30 years ago, bus conductor Shivaji Rao Gaikwad made a living by punching tickets and yelling out bus routes.

Today, he makes a living and a killing by enchanting thousands on the 70 mm.

Megastar RajnikanthÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s life has been less than ordinary and now a book tracks his journey from the bus stop to the silver screen, from Gaikwad to Rajni.

It is less than a week before Rajnikanth’s Sivaji hits the theatres. With the Sivaji mania raging high, Mahesh Devashetty, magazine editor of the popular Kannada daily Vijaya Karnataka, released a book on the Superstar on June 10.

The book contains a series of articles written by Devashetty detailing Rajni’s charisma and his association with many people in Bangalore. He also spoke to Rajni’s childhood friends Rajarao and Muniswamy, Kannada actor Ashok, associate director Raghunandan, producer-director-actor Dwarakish and also Raj Bhahadur, the driver of the 10A BTS bus who was once Rajni’s colleague. Many of Rajni’s relatives in Bangalore have also given a detailed account of their association with the superstar.

The book contains interesting details about how Rajni disguises himself when he visits friends and relatives. He sometimes disguises as an old man and travels in autos with a fur cap covering his face. He also visits theatres dressed like this. His mystique, desire for simple life, eagerness to help people are documented in the book.

All the articles in this 132-page book were widely read when they first appeared every Friday in the film supplement of the newspaper.

Dr Vishnuvardhan, one of the top stars of the Kannada film industry who had acted with Rajnikanth in many films, was one of the regular readers of these articles. He has penned a few words in appreciation. Vishweshwara Bhat, editor of Vijaya Karnataka, has written the forward.

The book has been translated into Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam as well.

“Books on icons are very important, its only when we note down their lives that the future will know about them. A book like this on Rajini ji is very important,” says actor, director Ramesh Arvind.

And the author is as much a Rajni fan as the book’s readers are likely to be.

“After I wrote this book, I feel that Ranikanth is not just a superstar on screen, he is a superstar in real life as well. He does not have all the fancies of a big star; he comes to Bangalore in disguise and walks the roads, travels by auto. He is much bigger a star in real life,” says Shetty.

Priced at Rs 60, this is one collectible the superstar’s followers wouldn’t want to miss.