When Rajinikanth undervalued himself and charged Rs 30,000 salary per film

Superstar Rajinikanth recently expressed his heartfelt tribute to the late legendary screenwriter Panchu Arunachalam, highlighting the pivotal role he played in shaping Rajinikanth's successful career. In a viral video, Rajinikanth fondly recalled a significant encounter with Arunachalam that shed light on his own undervalued market worth.

Rajinikanth recalled, "I told Panchu, sir, that I take Rs 30,000 (per film). Since he wanted to take me to Singapore and Malaysia for the shoots, I asked him to give me some Rs 20,000 or 35,000." This revelation left Panchu astonished, realizing Rajinikanth's lack of awareness about his true market value. Rajinikanth further quoted Panchu's reaction, "You're worse than me. You are just charging Rs 30,000? Do you know what kind of business your films are doing at the box office? Do you know that distributors and exhibitors vie for your movie rights? Is there no one to tell you all this?"

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And Arunachalam offered Rajinikanth his first-ever highest salary of Rs 1,10,000 for the film Priya. Since then, Rajinikanth's growth has been phenomenal, becoming one of Asia's highest-paid actors and joining the exclusive league of Indian superstars who charge over Rs 100 crore per film.

Priya, based on the novel by iconic Tamil writer Sujatha, was adapted for the silver screen by Panchu Arunachalam. Legendary filmmaker S. P. Muthuraman directed the travelogue film, which gained fame for its exotic shooting locations across Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. The movie also featured the late film icons Sridevi and Ambareesh in lead roles, captivating audiences in both Tamil and Kannada.

The film revolves around the eponymous character Priya (played by Sridevi), who is entrapped by nefarious producers. And she seeks the help of a dynamic lawyer Ganesh, played by Rajinikanth, to rid herself of her predicament. And Ganesh takes it upon himself to protect Priya against all threats. 

The film was released in cinemas in 1978 and became a big hit at the box office. After this film, Arunachalam wrote for several other films for Rajinikanth, including Murattu Kaalai , Mappillai, Pandiyan and Veera, and all went on to become the biggest hits in Rajinikanth's career. 

Rajinikanth is now waiting for the release of Jailer, which is written and directed by Nelson.