Why Does Rajinikanth stays away from home on his birthday

For nearly three decades now, Rajinikanth has made it a ritual of sorts to stay out of station or the country to avoid all the fan frenzy around his birthday.

While millions of fans celebrate December 12 as a festival of sorts, Superstar Rajinikanth has notoriously avoided any lavish celebrations on his birthdays. Many believe that the Thalivar did not indulge in celebrations only for the last three years. In 2015, he requested his fans to do away with celebrations due to Chennai floods and in 2016 due to the death of the then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. This year, he has again said no to the celebration given that Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring states have been recovering from the damages caused by Cyclone Ochki.

But, as opposed to popular belief, not just the last three times, for nearly three decades now, he has made it a ritual of sorts to stay out of station or the country to avoid all the fan frenzy around his birthday. It is just not because of his trademark humility. There is a more intimate reason as to why Rajinikanth avoids celebrations with his fans.

On his 62nd birthday, which fell on 12-12-12, 12-12-12, a unique day which occurs once in 100 years, he met his hard-core fans in Chennai and revealed the actual reason. “I used to be always in town on my birthdays. About 22 years ago, three of my fans on returning home after meeting me on my birthday died in a car accident. The bereaved parents asked me a question, which I was not able to answer and I would not like to share what was that question with you here either. That day I decided not be at my home on birthdays,” he revealed to his fans.

“I used that decision to my advantage by going out of the station and spending the day alone as I introspect about the things I’d done so far. And also think about the things I’m doing at present and the things I’d like to do in future,” he said.

This year too, Rajinikanth has gone out of station for a day as TV channels reported about a small clash between fans and the police at the superstar’s Chennai residence. The fans who came to meet him at his Poes Garden residence was upset to know the superstar was not in the house and got into a heated argument with the cops present there.

Rajinikanth is currently shooting for his upcoming film Kaala, which is directed by Pa Ranjith. It is Ranjith’s second consecutive outing with Rajinikanth. It’s worth noting that only a few directors had the opportunity to direct Rajinikanth in back-to-back films and Ranjith is one of them.

The year 2018 will see the release of two of Rajinikanth films. The mega-budget sci-fi film 2.0, directed by Shankar, will release on April 27, while the producers of Kaala are yet to confirm its release date.