Long before he became a larger-than-life superstar, Rajinikanth was known as Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, a young bus conductor navigating Bengaluru’s busy streets. A recently resurfaced Bengaluru Transport Service (BTS) identity card from 1971 has once again brought that lesser-known chapter of his life into public memory.
The decades-old ID card, now circulating widely on social media, carries his original name, Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, along with his conductor badge number. It identifies him as a conductor on Route No 10A, one of Bengaluru’s BTS services during the early 1970s.
For many fans, the card is more than just a nostalgic document. It serves as a reminder of the remarkable journey that shaped one of Indian cinema’s most enduring stars.
Rajinikanth’s Bengaluru years have long been woven into stories surrounding his rise to fame. Before cinema transformed his life, the actor spent his working days aboard city buses, a period often remembered not merely for hardship but for the personality that would later define his screen image.
Former colleagues and friends have frequently spoken about the young conductor who carried himself with unusual flair. Whether it was blowing the whistle, counting notes with effortless speed, tearing tickets in a distinctive style, or striking up conversations with passengers, Rajinikanth’s charisma reportedly stood out even then. What later became his cinematic trademark was, by many accounts, already visible during his BTS days.
The viral card has also revived discussion around the modest beginnings behind the superstar’s success. Reports linked to the resurfaced document suggest that he earned a monthly salary of Rs 275 as a conductor in 1971. More than five decades later, the actor is believed to command over Rs 150 crore per film, making the contrast between then and now impossible to ignore.
Yet, Rajinikanth has rarely spoken of his past as something distant. Instead, he has consistently acknowledged the people and experiences that shaped him, especially his close friend and bus driver Raj Bahadur, who supported and encouraged him during difficult years and played a significant role in his journey towards acting.
That emotional connection to Bengaluru’s transport community remains intact even today. A few months ago, Rajinikanth made an unannounced visit to a BMTC bus depot in Jayanagar, surprising drivers and conductors on duty. He spent time interacting with them, posed for photographs, and revisited memories from his own days in uniform, a gesture that resonated deeply with many.
The resurfacing of the BTS identity card is not merely a viral social media moment. It is a quiet reminder that behind the superstar celebrated for style, stardom, and box office dominance stands a man whose journey began on Bengaluru’s buses, carrying tickets, meeting strangers, and unknowingly preparing for a destiny far bigger than Route No 10A.