Happy Birthday Rajinikanth! The superstar turned 73 this year.

Rajinikanth's real name is Shivaji Rao Gaikwad.

In a career spanning over 5 decades, he has done 169 films in different languages.

He is widely regarded to be one of the most successful and popular actors in the history of Indian cinema.

Known for his uniquely styled lines and idiosyncrasies in films, he has a huge fan base internationally.

Following his debut with 1975 Tamil drama Apoorva Raagangal, Rajinikanth briefly played antagonistic characters in Tamil films.

His action thriller 'Billa', a remake of 'Don', was one of his biggest commercial successes till the 80s.

Jailer earned over 600 crores, establishing him as the sole actor with two 500 crores movies in the industry.

He has won seven Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, a Nandi Award and a Filmfare Award along with Civilian honours.

Rajinikanth was also named one of the most influential persons in South Asia by Asiaweek. All Image: Instagram.