Sreejith Mullappilly
Chandramukhi (Psychiatrist)
The Superstar plays a mental health specialist named Saravanan in the remake of Manichitrathazhu, adapted and directed by P Vasu. He brings his own unique style, swagger, and customary humour to the role, making it distinct from the Malayalam original and the other remakes. At the same time, he marries the role with a sense of intensity, earning him Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor
Moondru Mugam (Police Officer)
While Rajinikanth has played police officer roles in countless films, this 1982 actioner features one of his most iconic performances. In director A Jagannathan's film with a reincarnation plot, the Superstar plays three roles, one of whom is a bold and ruthless police officer. Instagram kids may be familiar with SP Alex Pandian's stylish slow-mo walks, simmering intensity, and razor sharp dialogues thanks to his prominence in the meme culture. It is a delight to watch him ooze vintage Rajini swag as Alex Pandian, to the company of the electric background music by Shankar–Ganesh. Further, his performance in the film earned him Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize.
Naan Sigappu Manithan (Teacher)
Rajinikanth plays a teacher who becomes a vigilante in this 1985 action film, directed by SA Chandrasekhar. A remake of Aaj Ki Awaz (1984), starring Raj Babbar, the film also features K Bhagyaraj in another lead role, alongside Sathyaraj, Ambika, Nizhalgal Ravi, and MN Nambiar, among others. The film proved a box office success at the time of its release.
Baashha (Auto Driver)
Rajinikanth's most popular film, directed by Suresh Krissna, sees him play two versions of the same character. One of them lives a low-profile life as an autorickshaw driver. It is only towards the intermission point do we even know that the honest, dignified and peace-keeping driver has a violent past. Who can forget the line, "Enakku Innoru Per Irukku" (I have another name), teasing the Superstar's iconic transformation as the underworld don? Countless films have followed the Baashha template since then, but few have come close to matching the sheer impact of the 1995 film. Rajinikanth is the main reason for it being this impactful. After all, there is one and only Superstar.
Enthiran (Scientist)
In Shankar's epic film from 2010, Rajinikanth stars in a dual role—one, a rogue robot with a dangerous affection for his romantic partner (Aishwarya Rai) and the other his hapless creator, scientist Dr Vaseegaran. In one of the films most memorable scenes, Chitti Robot tries to single out an anxious Vaseegaran from his many replicas who are all dressed uniformly. When the fearsome Chitti finally finds him out, he lets out a hysterical laugh, painting a stark contrast to his creator, who stares at him anxiously. The Superstar brings out the contrast beautifully, which is partly why the film works even today.
Naan Mahaan Alla (Lawyer)
In this 1984 action film from director SP Muthuraman, Rajinikanth plays an attorney named Viswanath. When Viswanath sends two criminals to jail, one of their father gets back at him with his influence, setting the stage for an intense story of rivalry. The film also stars Radha, MN Nambiar, Sathyaraj, VK Ramasamy, Cho Ramaswamy, and Senthamarai, among others. Released in January 1984, it proved a commercial success. There is also a Karthi starrer of the same name, but the two films do not have any other connections.