Superstar Rajinikanth turns 75 today. Beyond being the ‘King of Style,’ Rajini is a compassionate human being who shows deep empathy towards his fellow beings. Stunt master and long-time friend Thyagarajan reflects on the man behind the superstar.

For me, Rajinikanth the actor has always been a searing memory. Whenever we meet, a spark is lit between us. It is a memory that time can never erase. Once, at an event, Rajini told me, “Master, the cries of those men still echo in my ears.”

It was not just pain we carried in our hearts — there were many whose lives bore the deeper scars of that suffering. This was around 45 years ago. Rajinikanth and I came together for Kaali, directed by I.V. Sasi for Hem Nag Productions. It was our first film together — and perhaps the last. Rajinikanth was becoming a rising force in Tamil Nadu. He was the hero in the bilingual Tamil–Telugu film. I choreographed the stunt scenes, keeping in mind I.V. Sasi’s words that the action must look fresh and innovative.

During discussions, I asked the director: “Can Rajini perform these risky scenes without a dupe?”

“He’ll need a dupe,” Sasi replied, “but he will make it remarkable.”

“How?” I asked.

“He has the spark for it,” Sasi said. In the very first stunt shoot, I understood what he meant. I saw in Rajini a unique style no one else had displayed before. Not once did Sasi have to tell him, “Let’s change it — it won’t work.” That style, I believe, is what has sustained Rajinikanth in the film industry without boundaries or limits.

The first major stunt for Kaali was a high-risk bike chase shot in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. After a fierce fight with over 30 men, the villain’s gang chases the hero and finally captures him. Rajini’s dupe was Ekambaram, a bike jumper. Though Ekambaram performed several breathtaking moves, he eventually met with a serious accident that fractured his spine. Rajinikanth was among the first to rush forward to help. “Master… we cannot give him back his old life, but we must ensure Ekambaram never suffers in the years to come,” he told me.

Rajini did not stop at mere words — his support continued throughout Ekambaram’s life.

A major accident occurred during the climax fight of Kaali, filmed inside a ring of fire. Rajini’s dupe was Super Subbarayan. When the flames spread, Subbarayan, several dupe artists and even the horses sustained severe burns. Some fell off their horses and broke their arms and legs. At a time when many feared they would not survive, Rajinikanth stepped in to ensure they all returned to life and recovery.

“I am here, Master… don’t be afraid. No matter how much money it takes, I will spend it. They are all my brothers,” Rajini said outside Vijaya Hospital in Madras — words I will never forget.

Rajinikanth is one of those rare actors who stand by their colleagues during accidents, offering emotional and financial support. When the shoot of Kaali wrapped up, Rajini was deeply distressed that such tragedies had occurred in his film. “We must work together again someday, Master,” he told me as he left the set.

At that time, I was extremely busy in Malayalam cinema, with numerous contracts already signed. Although Rajini invited me to work as fight master in several of his later films, I could not accept due to my schedule. Yet, we met many times outside film work — and Rajini always asked about the dupe artists, enquired about their struggles, and helped many of them. “Whatever money I give them is theirs by right. My films are built on their sweat and blood,” he said — a sentiment few actors express.

Though dupes performed the dangerous scenes for him, Rajinikanth always kept them close and treated them with dignity — perhaps a memory shaped by the burns and injuries suffered during the making of Kaali.