PremiumCan we call Rajinikanth Makkal Thilagam? asks Sathyaraj
Who is the next Superstar? is the question that keeps boiling up to the fore during the release of every Rajinikanth film. Jailer was no exception.
Last Updated: 04.49 PM, Aug 20, 2023
Seasoned actor Sathyaraj has waded into the ongoing debate about the Superstar title. While Superstar generally is referred to a popular celebrity, that common noun holds much more significance in Tamil cinema. For nearly five decades now Rajinikanth has been the sole proprietor of that title even though a section of people in the industry, argues that it's time that the coveted title is passed to the next big star in the line.
Who is the next Superstar? is the question that keeps boiling up to the fore during the release of every Rajinikanth film. And the release of Jailer was also marked by intense debates about this question.
While talking to the media at a recent event in Chennai, Sathyaraj shared his thoughts on the matter.
"Superstar is the one who earns more salary and sells more tickets. But, for the last 45 years, if we hear that word, Superstar, it's Rajinikanth who will come to our minds. And we should not change that. As far as I'm concerned, Superstar means Rajini sir," Sathyaraj said.
He also noted that such honorary titles hold a deep emotional relevance to the fans of Tamil cinema. And these titles were not interchangeable among the stars with the changing times.
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"Now, Tamil cinema's first superstar was Bhagavathar. After that, it was Puratchi Thalaivar. And we call him Makkal Thilagam MGR. We should not call anybody else the next Makkal Thilagam. Can we agree if someone says Makkal Thilagam Rajinikanth? Will that suit him? Makkal Thilagam is MGR, Superstar is Rajinikanth, Ulaga Nayagan is Kamal Haasan, Thalapathy is Vijay and Thala is Ajith," he reasoned.
Sathyaraj has also shared screen space with Rajinikanth in several hit movies, including Mr. Bharath, Naan Mahaan Alla, Thambikku Entha Ooru and Naan Sigappu Manithan to name a few.