Rajinikanth, Indian actor

Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Malayalam. 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 mannerism and one liners in films, he has a huge fan base and a cult following. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016, India's third and second highest civilian honours respectively, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019, the highest Indian award in the field of cinema, for his contributions to Indian cinema. He has won numerous film awards including one National Film Award, seven Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, a Nandi Award, one Filmfare Award and two Maharashtra State Film Awards.

December 12 is the 346th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 19 days remain until the end of the year.