Birthday Special: These 5 Foot-Tapping Numbers of Superstar Rajinikanth will make you hit the dance floor

Looks like there is no stopping Thalaivar even at 69! After scoring a much-needed superhit with Petta, Rajinikanth is back to send his humongous fan base into a frenzy with his upcoming action-entertainer Darbar. Directed by sensational director AR Murugadoss, the motion poster and the intro song ‘Chumma Kizhi’ of the film has managed to connect with the masses big-time.It’s been 25 years since the Thalaivar of Indian cinema stepped into the shoes of police and in Darbar; he will be seen as Aaditya Arunasalam, a tough and badass cop. The film will be releasing amid massive expectations on Pongal.
Meanwhile, on November 12, India is celebrating the birthday of the biggest superstar the country has ever seen and his name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad; popularly known by his screen-name Rajinikanth. With a humongous fan base behind his back, this true demigod of the Southern territory is loved and admired for his charismatic screen presence, spontaneous style, striking mannerisms, and his extreme humble nature in real life.
Born into a financially backward family, Rajinikanth earned his bread & butter by doing several odd jobs like coolie and carpenter, before ending up as a bus conductor with the Bangalore Transport Service. Stunned by his style and mannerisms; passengers, colleagues & friends persuaded Rajini to try his luck in acting. During his time at the Madras Film Institute in 1974, his performance in a stage play was noticed by Tamil film director K Balachander and the rest is history.
Starting off his showbiz journey as a supporting artist and gradually an antagonist, Rajinikanth turned into a full-fledged hero with the phenomenal success of ‘Billa’ in 1980. From then on, he made it big in Kollywood with successive superhits at the box-office which also included several Bollywood flicks.
However, it was Suresh Krissna’s ‘Baasha’ (1995) that turned the tables for the ‘Kabali’ star in Telugu cinema. The dubbed version of this actioner accumulated big money at the ticket counters and in the following years, Rajinikanth catapulted into the top league of Tollywood with back-to-back blockbusters like ‘Muthu’, ‘Narasimha’, ‘Chandramukhi’, ‘Sivaji’, and ‘Robo’. On the Indian Superstar’s 69th birthday, let’s hit the dance floor by grooving to his foot-tapping numbers in Tollywood.

This peppy number from ‘Dalapathi’ was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with renowned singers SP Balasubrahmanyam and Swarnalatha crooning the lyrics. The catchy lines, foot-tapping music and Rajinikanth’s massy dance moves turned ‘Chilakamma Chitikeyanga’ into a hot favourite among the masses. The original number (Tamil) was named the fourth most popular song in a poll conducted by the BBC World Service worldwide in 2002.

Rajini’s introduction songs are extremely popular among the masses and ‘Nenu Auto Vanni’ will certainly top the list. Composed by Deva for the cult actioner ‘Baasha’, the number is still heard in several parts of Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh. Especially, Auto drivers treat it as a perfect number to showcase their profession with dignity and respect. Sung by SP Balu, ‘Nenu Auto Vanni’ acquired a solid following over the years for its meaningful lyrics and Rajini’s absorbing expressions.


Besides Indians, this dance number from the 1995 blockbuster is a hot favourite among Japanese viewers. ‘Muthu’ is the first Indian film to register a stupendous success in the Land of Rising Sun and Rajinikanth turned into their matinee idol since then. Along with Mano and Sujatha’s voice, the dance moves of Rajini and Meena were highly praised by the viewers. Acclaimed musician AR Rahman composed the tunes for this film.

Crooned by Palakkad Sreeram, the thumping soundtrack from 1999 blockbuster ‘Narasimha’ created a rage among the masses. The song showcases the inspiring journey of the lead actor who becomes rich after spotting granite in his place. The AR Rahman musical shattered all the existing records in Tamil cinema and held the highest box-office record for close to five years.


The pacey number from 2010 science-fiction thriller ‘Robo’ was crooned by the Oscar musician himself along with Kash n’ Krissy. The breathtaking sets, dazzling costumes, eye-popping choreography, and sizzling dance moves of Aishwarya Rai & Rajini literally sent the audience into a frenzy. The gorgeous actress was a treat to watch in Robo.