50 years of Rajinikanth - Did you know that he never wanted the iconic 'Superstar Rajni' title card to be played in his films?

On 14th August 2025, Rajinikanth's latest film Coolie hit the theaters. The Lokesh Kangaraj directorial was a special release for the veteran superstar, as it is his 50th year in the film industry. Across these five decades, Rajinikanth has written and rewritten box office records like no other star in the country. The mass hysteria of Rajinikanth films during his absolute peak in the 1990s and early 2000s were an absolute treat to watch, with the famous 'Superstar Rajni' title card playing at the start of the film to raise the decibel levels in the theater. 

This title card first came into play from Annamalai, a film that went on to shatter all records everywhere for a Tamil film. Thereafter, it has been part of every Rajinikanth film and while the visuals look dated, the vintage feel to it gives it the evergreen aura even today. Of course, modern day film makers also ensure that they have their own version of a title card in Rajinikanth films, like Kanagaraj had for Coolie but the primary title card remains 'Superstar Rajni.

However, what people don't know is that this was an idea that Rajinikanth wasn't in agreement with. 

In fact, when Annamalai director Suresh Krissna told him about it, Rajinikanth had flatly denied the idea of such a title card. His response to it was simple. 

"Suresh, we should never boast about ourselves, it is not right," said Rajinikanth to Krissna.

However, reputed director K Balanchander, known for his mentoring role in the careers of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, got to know about this idea and told Krissna to execute it. When the director told about Rajinikanth's refusal, Balachander stepped in and convinced the superstar about it. Given his mutual respect for Balachander, Rajinikanth gave in to the idea and the rest, as they say, is history. 

"The animations took a lot of time, as technology back then wasn't as advanced, but we managed to compile everything within a few weeks. The idea was planned very close to the release, so it was a great feat to get it done so quickly with precision," said Krissna in a recent interview with Cinema Express.

Krissna also recollected the unprecedented reception he got while visiting a theater during the first week of its release. Annamalai had opened to excellent audience reports and became a certified blockbuster overnight, shredding apart the record books. 

"Me and my wife had gone to watch the film, we were just standing near the door, wanting to see the audience reactions. Those days, there wasn't as much media coverage as today, so naturally nobody recognised us."

"However, towards the end of the film, somehow the news spread and once the end titles started playing, I couldn't get out of the place. The fans literally lifted me and took me around the theater. It was an unforgettable experience."