BW: We’ll
get straight to the point: what can you
tell us that you have not shared with
any other media about what is in your
book?
Gayathri: Rajini’s
early love life. I even met one of the
women. She’s married now, and even
her husband was present (laughs) when
I interviewed her.
BW: Give
us a little preview…
Gayathri: There were
at least two women. One of them was when
he was a bus conductor in Bangalore. He
liked this woman very much.-.I have not
named her, that was our ladies agreement-
and was hopeful of marrying her. But it
flitted away with time, the way infatuations
do. The second woman was a proposal that
was brought to him. Her family lived a
little away from Bangalore city –possibly
Somanahalli. But once he went there, the
woman rejected him, saying, “he
is too dark and looks like a thug.”
Since then- and this is my feeling- Rajini
became determined to pursue someone fair
complexioned and marry her. And he did
– as we all know.
BW: What
did his wife say to this?
Gayathri: Nothing –because
Rajinkanth made it clear to me that he
and his family did not wish to participate
in the interview process.
BW: As
his biographer what do you feel Rajinikanth’s
next step is going to be? He is 58 but
still wanting to do ambitious projects
like Robot, the most expensive Indian
movie under production. But what is his
next move as a man going to be?
Gayathri: He remains
silent on it. But I spoke to some sources
very close to him – I won’t
reveal who- and all of them say that his
desire is to live a quiet life in pursuit
of spiritual things. As his biographer
I feel personally that he should enter
politics. He would make a tremendous difference
to the system, to Tamilnadu.
BW: What
impressions did you form about the way
he feels about his stardom? Did you get
the feeling that he felt trapped as his
star-image?
Gayathri: Definitely.
You can see his restlessness with playing
the same role again and again. He is yearning
to play the kind of roles he did in the
70s. In fact, without exception, all his
fellow stars said Rajini must once again
return to being the actor he once was
in movies such as Aarilirnthu Aravathu
Varai.
BW: What
else can you tell us that most people
may not know about the Superstar?
Gayathri: My book has
gone deeply into not just his childhood
but also his father’s childhood.
How his grandfather abandoned the family,
and Rajini’s father had to struggle
to bring up the family. As a result he
became a strict disciplinarian.
BW: What
sort of approach/attitude have you taken
to telling Rajinikanth’ story?
Gayathri: A balanced
one. I have not adulated him. I have looked
at his positive and negative side.
