Double bonanza for fans as Rajinikanth celebrates 75th birthday & 50 years in cinema
Chennai (PTI): It’s a double bonanza for the fans of Superstar Rajinikanth. Their legend celebrates his 75th birthday on Friday, which, incidentally marks his 50 years in cinema as well.
Not surprisingly, the day turned into a carnival for fans and the film industry alike, with special film re-releases, music shows and themed parties marking 50 years of the iconic actor’s journey in cinema.
Political leaders, including Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin, took to X to convey their wishes to the legend.
"Rajinikanth = A charm that triumphs over age," CM Stalin said.
Wishing his "friend who has captivated audiences from six to sixty for half a century", the CM said, "May he continue to deliver many more successful works and keep his flag of victory flying high with the love and support of the people".
Opposition leader and AIADMK General Secretary, Edappadi K Palaniswami, called the superstar, the "unshakable sovereign of Tamil cinema".
He also said Rajnikanth’s uber-famous "style" turns cinema halls into festive arenas.
Late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's close confidante V K Sasikala took to X to convey her "joyful and heartfelt" wishes to her "dear brother" Rajinikanth.
Sasikala said she feels "immense pride reflecting on his simple approach and his noble character of treating everyone equally and valuing friendship with all".
To celebrate the double milestone, Rajinikanth’s blockbuster ‘Padayappa’ stormed back into theatres globally, in a remastered 4K version, on Friday.
Overjoyed fans thronged the theatres to celebrate their "god", in usual early-morning "FDFS-style": with cut-outs, milk abhishekams and firecrackers. Cinema chains and single screens in Tamil Nadu and overseas reported strong advance bookings.
In some corners of the world, like in Singapore, the 1992 hit ‘Annamalai’ has also returned in 4K and Dolby Atmos, with special shows clubbed as part of "50 Golden Years of Rajinism" events, giving fans a double dose of nostalgia on the big screen.
Trade circles and fan clubs projected both re-releases as a tribute to Rajinikanth’s enduring box-office pull across generations.
In Chennai, the Mecca for Rajnikanth fans, the day has just begun. Various events, like the marquee "Thalaivar 75 | Rajini Hits", a four-hour live concert featuring band Chords & Strings performing hit songs from Rajinikanth films, are being held so that fans can turn up in themed T-shirts or sporting signature styles from his films.
The city’s nightlife too has joined the festivities with Rajinikanth-themed parties like ‘Superstar Birthday’ and ‘Thalaivaa 75’ nights, promising DJ sets, live acts and visuals built around Rajinikanth’s most popular on-screen moments.
Underlining the star’s deep pop-cultural imprint, across Tamil Nadu, fan associations organised welfare activities, cake-cuttings and screenings, while crowds gathered outside the actor’s residence to wish him on the landmark birthday.
Apart from politicians, social media platforms were flooded with tributes from fans and colleagues, as the hashtags linked to his 75th birthday, Padayappa’s return and 50 years in cinema became the trends of the day.
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We are completely immune, says SC; flags half-baked running commentary on pending cases
New Delhi (PTI): Observing that half-baked truth and ill-informed running commentary on sub-judice cases affect public perception, the Supreme Court on Friday asserted that it is "completely immune" from reporting of cases for the sake of publicity or narrative building.
The observations were made by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi during the hearing of a case concerning the repatriation of certain individuals deported to Bangladesh, when Solicitor General Tushar Mehta took strong exception to a news article published in an English daily on the issue.
"There is a concurrent and simultaneous narrative-building exercise going on. I am sure it does not affect your lordships. There are certain tabloids which are normally known and used for narrative building exercises. Unfortunately, today, to my amazement and shock, I read a front page story in a reputable and dependable newspaper like..., it must have escaped the editorial attention," the law officer said.
During the proceedings, the court was informed that Sunali Khatun, a pregnant woman, and her eight-year old son have come back to India and currently, she is getting medical attention at her father's residence in Birbhum in West Bengal.
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The bench fixed January 6 to hear the Centre's appeal against a Calcutta High Court judgement that directed the repatriation of certain individuals deported to Bangladesh on the alleged ground that the due process was not followed.
During the proceedings, the solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, raised the issue of the news report.
Terming the reportage as "tabloid-like", the top law officer said, "I do not want to escalate ... but attempts are made to build a particular kind of narrative" in a bid to influence the outcome.
The law officer said he was sure that the bench is not influenced by any such reports, but it does cast doubt about the intention to build a particular kind of narrative.
"My faith was shaken," Mehta said.
"We are completely immune from publicity and pseudo-publicity stunts. Narratives should not affect the lives of individuals," Justice Bagchi said, adding that the judges hardly get time to see newspapers.
Referring to the names of leading English newspapers, the top law officers said they cannot be reduced to "the level of these tabloids, where you plant stories. It is for the newspaper to decide".
Advising the law officer to "just ignore them", the CJI, however, said, "Ideally, ill-informed running commentary on sub-judice matters should not be made."
"The problem is half-baked distorted facts and ill-informed facts are being reported," he said.
"Reporting that a matter is coming up (for hearing) is fine. But if you thrust your opinion, then that is an issue. The issue is with half-baked truth and ill-informed opinion which affects public perception," the CJI added.
The CJI assured the law officer saying, "we do not accept pleadings which are outside."
"Once the judgment is passed, any constructive criticism is always most welcome," the CJI added.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, referred to the media's role in recent times in countries like the UK and the US, and said immigration issues are part of a "global discourse" and comments and public discourses are held on social media and other platforms.
"People write opinions in the US and England on immigration. As long as you don't attribute motive, it is not sacrilege," Sibal said.
At the outset, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde brought to the court's attention the plight of another deportee, Sweety Bibi, who remains stuck with her husband and two children.
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Hegde offered to provide documents proving their Indian citizenship. He urged the solicitor general to take up the other case on humanitarian grounds, saying, "that side of the border is very difficult for Indians."
The law officer assured Hegde that he will look into the issue and the verification may take sometime.
The court said once documents are verified, modalities for their return could be considered in a time-bound manner.
The case involves families who had been working as daily wagers in Delhi's Rohini area for two decades.
They were detained by police on June 18 on suspicion of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and deported on June 27.
The Calcutta High Court, in its impugned order, had observed that the deportation violated the Union Home Ministry’s own protocols, which require an inquiry by the state government before deportation.
The high court had noted that the "overenthusiasm" in deporting the detainees disturbed the "judicial climate".
Sibal reiterated this point during the hearing and said, "The Union does no inquiry for 30 days before deporting them."
