The Legend called Rajnikanth

The story goes, now part of popular Tamil lore, there was a time in the 1990s when Rajni was literally under house arrest in his Poes Road bungalow. He had for his neighbour the chief minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa. It was her first time at the helm. Whether it was inadvertent or intentional only his whimsy neighbour Jaya will know for she had her way of doing things. Often, often, the story goes…her bodyguards, black cats and policemen would block Rajni’s way to clear the road for Amma’s smooth ride. He had to wait at home till she had left her house. Security reasons, you know, it cannot be helped. And the dear lady would take her sweet time while Rajni was caged in his own home. Perhaps, a small punishment for his political alignment.

Then Rajni did his thing. One fine morning, Rajni drove out of the gates. The inevitable happened. His car was blocked. No sweat, Rajni got out and sat on the car bonnet.

Then in characteristic Rajni style, he just combed his hair, and flicked it in preparation for the long wait. The crowds swelled, Rajni got into the act: flicked his hair and flipped his coolers onto his nose. The crowd went wild. And Rajni just waited on that bonnet.... Only a couple of hours...While Jaya sweated in her famed residence. That was the last time Rajni had to wait on the bonnet or anywhere else for that matter .

"Naan eppa varuven, eppadi varuvennu yarukkum theriyadhu, aana varavendiya neratthil correct-aga varuven." "When I will arrive, or how I will arrive, nobody will know, but I will arrive when I ought to." Rajni in Muthu 1995
(This story was deliciously told to me by my father in the 90s in the Southern tip of Tamil Nadu.)

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