BENGALURU: Before becoming a superstar, Rajinikanth was a bus conductor in Bengaluru. Though an icon and an inspiration, what makes him special is his simplicity. This played out on Tuesday when ‘Thalaiva’ paid an unannounced visit to the bus depot in Jayanagar where he once worked.
In fact, when his white MUV stopped in front of the depot gate and Rajinikanth got out to see how his first workplace had transformed since the 1970s, staff manning the depot gate had no inkling that one of India’s biggest film stars was standing in front of them, all dressed in white! It was only when one of the security guards took a closer look and exclaimed “Rajinikanth!’ did everything change. Within minutes, the depot staff rushed towards him, to shake hands with him and take selfies. The actor is in the spotlight after his latest film ‘Jailer‘ set the box office on fire.
Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation employee Lohith Ram told TOI: “It was a lifetime experience for me and my colleague, we never expected him (Rajinikanth) to come to our depot and interact with us. He spent 15 to 20 minutes inside the depot. More than 150 employees took photos and selfies with him during his surprise visit. Many of the employees bowed down and took blessings from him. Though he spoke little, he exchanged greetings with the staff with a big smile on his face.”
Rajinikanth, whose name is Shivajirao Gaikwad, worked as conductor with the erstwhile Bangalore Transport Service (BTS) before he got his break in the Tamil film industry in 1975. His driver-friend Raj Bahadur had encouraged him to join the movie industry and veteran director K Balachander rechristened him Rajinikanth.
Jagadeep S, a security staffer at the depot, said, “One of our security staff noticed Rajinikanth and requested him to come inside the depot. The actor touched the ground, symbolising his respect for the workplace, before entering. Within no time, staff working at the depot rushed near him and took photos with the actor. He obliged everyone. Even I took a selfie with him after dropping him near the car.”
Another employee said the actor visited the depot during non-peak hours. “More than 900 people work in our depot. Had he visited after 12.30pm, more employees would have got a chance to see him. After 12.30pm, most of the night-out vehicles come back to the depot and there are a lot of drivers and conductors.”
In fact, when his white MUV stopped in front of the depot gate and Rajinikanth got out to see how his first workplace had transformed since the 1970s, staff manning the depot gate had no inkling that one of India’s biggest film stars was standing in front of them, all dressed in white! It was only when one of the security guards took a closer look and exclaimed “Rajinikanth!’ did everything change. Within minutes, the depot staff rushed towards him, to shake hands with him and take selfies. The actor is in the spotlight after his latest film ‘Jailer‘ set the box office on fire.
Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation employee Lohith Ram told TOI: “It was a lifetime experience for me and my colleague, we never expected him (Rajinikanth) to come to our depot and interact with us. He spent 15 to 20 minutes inside the depot. More than 150 employees took photos and selfies with him during his surprise visit. Many of the employees bowed down and took blessings from him. Though he spoke little, he exchanged greetings with the staff with a big smile on his face.”
Rajinikanth, whose name is Shivajirao Gaikwad, worked as conductor with the erstwhile Bangalore Transport Service (BTS) before he got his break in the Tamil film industry in 1975. His driver-friend Raj Bahadur had encouraged him to join the movie industry and veteran director K Balachander rechristened him Rajinikanth.
Jagadeep S, a security staffer at the depot, said, “One of our security staff noticed Rajinikanth and requested him to come inside the depot. The actor touched the ground, symbolising his respect for the workplace, before entering. Within no time, staff working at the depot rushed near him and took photos with the actor. He obliged everyone. Even I took a selfie with him after dropping him near the car.”
Another employee said the actor visited the depot during non-peak hours. “More than 900 people work in our depot. Had he visited after 12.30pm, more employees would have got a chance to see him. After 12.30pm, most of the night-out vehicles come back to the depot and there are a lot of drivers and conductors.”