When Rajinikanth shared the story of shaving his head for Rs 4000 at Cinema Express Awards

At the 16th Cinema Express Awards, back in 1996, Rajinikanth had the audience in splits as he narrated an unexpected—and rather expensive—anecdote from his trip to New York. The story behind his bald look that evening turned into one of the most memorable moments of the event.

"Ever since I arrived at the venue, everyone’s been asking me the same question—‘Why did you shave your head?’ So here’s the story,” he began, his trademark charm already at work. The actor received the best actor award for his work in Tamil films.

Rajinikanth recounted that he had recently visited New York and noticed an advertisement showcasing what was dubbed the city’s latest and most fashionable hairstyle. Feeling the urge to try something new, he decided to book an appointment at a high-end salon.

“I hadn’t changed my hairstyle in a while, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity,” he said. “When I got to the salon, a woman offered me a head massage. I was jet-lagged, so I nodded yes. Midway through the massage, I drifted off to sleep.”

That’s when things took a hilarious turn. “I woke up to this strange vibrating sound. In my half-asleep state, I thought I was still on the flight!” he recalled, drawing laughter from the crowd. “When the barber finally woke me up, he looked at me proudly and said, ‘Look how great you’re looking.’ Only then did I realise that they had shaved my head completely!”

Trying not to offend the stylist, Rajinikanth quipped in true Thalaivar style: “Great, sir… No one in India would have done such a job!” (laughs)

The real kicker? The price. "When I asked for the bill, he said, ‘Not much, sir… just 150 dollars.’ I had paid nearly Rs 4000 just to get my head shaved,” he said with a sarcastic grin.

After tickling the funny bones of the audience, Rajinikanth added how he would never be cheated in Tamil Nadu. “Tamil Nadu la kandipa yaarum enna motta adikka maatanga… adhunala dhaan kadavul enna New York la motta adikka vechirkaru nenakkiren.”

Rajinikanth is currently gearing up for the release of Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie, which is all set to hit theatres on August 14. The film comes exactly 50 years after his debut in cinema with Apoorva Ragangal. Rajinikanth will be seen alongside Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, and Aamir Khan in the upcoming film. Meanwhile, the actor is also busy filming for Nelson's Jailer 2.