PM Narendra Modi congratulates Rajinikanth on completing 50 ‘glorious’ years in cinema: ‘His journey has been iconic’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated actor Rajinikanth, whose highly anticipated movie Coolie was released a day before, on completing 50 ‘glorious’ years in the world of cinema. Here’s what he wrote.

Narendra Modi congratulates Rajinikanth

PM Modi posted a file photo of when Rajinikanth met him in Delhi on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “Congratulations to Thiru Rajinikanth Ji on completing 50 glorious years in the world of cinema. His journey has been iconic, with his diverse roles having left a lasting impact on the minds of people across generations. Wishing him continued success and good health in the times to come.”

The PM posted the same note on X in Tamil too. Replying to his post, Rajinikanth wrote, “Respected @narendramodi Modi ji, I am deeply grateful for your warm wishes. It is truly an honour to receive them from a leader I have long held in the highest regard. Thank you for your kind words. Jai Hind.”

50 years of Rajinikanth

On 15 April this year, it has been 50 years since Rajinikanth debuted on-screen with the 1975 K Balachander film Apoorva Raagangal. The film saw him play an estranged husband who meets his wife after years. At 74, Rajinikanth is still one of the most enduring and successful commercial stars of Tamil cinema, enjoying a cult following with a pan-India fan base.

Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj stars Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Upendra and Aamir Khan in lead roles. The film was released in theatres on 14 August and it collected ₹150 crore worldwide on its opening day. This makes it the highest-grossing opener for Tamil cinema. As of day 2, Coolie has already crossed the ₹100 crore mark in India alone. It remains to be seen how much it makes in its first weekend.