A sure way for an actor to enter into an auto driver's heart is by enacting the role of an auto driver in a film. Shankar Nag, Vishnuvardhan, Rajinikanth - all have proved it beyond doubt.
Rajinikanth here graces the back side of an auto. I am not much of a follower of Tamil cinema, so I am a little less informed about Rajinikanth's films. But I recently happened to watch a couple of early Kannada films of Rajinikanth.
One was "Katha Sangama", the anthology movie directed by Puttanna Kanagal. In one of the stories "Munithaayi", Rajini plays Kondaji, the village ruffian, who wrecks havoc in the life of the blind Munithaayi, played by Arathi.
The other one was "Thappida Thaala", one of earliest K Balachander movies. Here, Rajini plays a good-natured rowdy, who falls in love with a golden-hearted prostitute (played by Saritha, which happens to be her debut film) Though the movie had a done to death storyline, it had some trademark K Balachander touch.
Though both these roles are broadly categorized as "negative" characters and run the risk of being caricatured, you got to see these movies to see how Rajini makes those characters believable. These movies gave me the impression that behind all the jazz - the superstar persona, the much talked about style, the business his movies do (yeah the fans who think remuneration as an indication of greatness), there lies a very spontaneous, intelligent actor.
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