Rajinikanth’s friend Raj Bahadur: The bus driver who gave Tamil cinema its superstar

From the perspective of film critics, Coolie is a star-studded letdown in Rajini’s golden jubilee year, but for fans, it’s an emotional celebration of a man they’ve stood by for five decades, irrespective of critical consensus or box office figures. For Rajinikanth himself, once a bus conductor before superstardom beckoned, Coolie stands as a milestone in a career that has long since crossed into legend.

K. Balachander’s Apoorva Raagangal (1975), a Tamil film, marked the debut of Rajinikanth — then known as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, a conductor with the Bangalore Transport Service (BTS). It was Balachander who rechristened Shivaji Rao as Rajinikanth. When he decided to cast Shivaji in Apoorva Raagangal, he faced a dilemma with the name, as the legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan was already a towering figure in Tamil cinema, celebrated for his versatility and commanding a massive fan following. To avoid confusion, Balachander chose to rename him after “Rajinikanth,” a character from his 1966 film Major Chandrakanth.

How Shivaji became Rajinikanth

It is also interesting how Shivaji came into the orbit of Balachander. Raj Bahadur, a retired BTS driver and an integral part of Rajinikanth’s incredible journey, recalls the turning point vividly. Speaking to The Federal from his modest home in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru, the 80-year-old, who is known as Raja Baadur in Tamil Nadu, recounted the moment when Balachander first spotted Shivaji’s talent.

“Once, Shivaji was acting in a play where Tamil director Balachander noticed him. Impressed, he advised Shivaji to learn Tamil, as he was then delivering dialogues fluently only in Kannada. Shivaji immediately came to me and narrated the entire incident. I told him, ‘If such a stalwart director has asked you to learn Tamil, there must be something ahead for you. But who will teach you Tamil in such a short time?’ Since I knew Tamil, I offered to teach him, on the condition that from that moment on, he would speak to me only in Tamil. Within two months, Shivaji had picked up the language and was speaking fluently,” said Raj Bahadur.

Later, when Shivaji met Balachander during the casting of Apoorva Raagangal, the director initially hesitated, saying he couldn’t cast someone who didn’t know Tamil. Shivaji immediately replied — in fluent Tamil — that he could indeed speak the language. Balachander, stunned by his command of chaste Tamil, offered him the role of Pandiyan in Apoorva Raagangal.

“From then on, once he became Rajinikanth, he never looked back, and the rest is history,” Raj Bahadur added. “No one knew that this unassuming newcomer would rise to become Thalaivar Rajinikanth — the rugged star with stubble and shabby clothes — who would go on to embody unparalleled success, style, and stardom.”

The coolie for the BTS on Route 10 A

Few know that Rajinikanth owes much of his early stardom to Raj Bahadur. “He is the man who gave Tamil cinema its superstar,” said veteran director S. P. Muthuraman, introducing Raj Bahadur to a packed audience at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai during the recent audio launch of Coolie.

Also read: Coolie review: Rajinikanth’s star power steers Lokesh Kanagaraj’s action thriller

“At that moment, I was sitting among the biggest stars of Indian cinema, such as Nagarjuna and Aamir Khan,” Bahadur recalled, relishing the charged atmosphere. “Shivaji’s journey is like no other, and the doors of Tamil cinema still remain open for Rajini, who continues to enjoy unparalleled box office success,” he added with pride.

For Bahadur, who has watched every one of Rajini’s films, Baasha remains his favourite. But he is also a sharp critic of Rajini’s acting, and the superstar takes his feedback seriously, often working to improve on the weaknesses Bahadur points out. In fact, there are things Rajinikanth himself envies about Bahadur.

“Oh, he’s envious of my hair! Whenever I seem to take special care of it, he would come and ruffle it,” Bahadur laughed, noting that he remains Rajini’s only link to the ordinary life he once lived. “Rajini always consults me while making major decisions — and I consult him too,” he said. “Shivaji was once very poor—extremely poor. He used to carry luggage on his shoulders for 50 paise. He struggled a lot, and he doesn’t want to forget it,” Bahadur recalled.

The friendship between Raj Bahadur and Rajinikanth goes back nearly six decades. Rajini first met Bahadur at the Jayanagar 4th T Block Bus Depot in Bengaluru, where Rajini was then working as a conductor for the then Bangalore Transport Service (BTS), assigned to Route 10A, which ran from Srinagar to Majestic.

On August 29, 2023, Rajinikanth surprised everyone by visiting the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) Bus Depot. When his MUV stopped in front of the depot gate, he stepped out to see the transformation of the place where he had first worked in 1970. Within minutes, depot staff rushed to greet him, eager to shake hands and take selfies with the superstar. Rajini spent nearly 20 minutes there, reliving memories of his conductor days.

Six-decades-old friendship

Raj Bahadur, Rajinikanth’s close friend and former colleague during his BTS service days, played a crucial role in encouraging and supporting the actor’s career in its early stages. The two worked together as driver and conductor. Recognising Shivaji’s (later Rajinikanth’s) talent, Bahadur urged him to pursue his dream of becoming an actor, even going so far as to support him financially — sending half of his own salary every month for three years while Rajinikanth studied at the Madras Film Institute.

“Although he was just a conductor like many others, he definitely had a spark. We used to watch him perform in dramas organised by the BTS Employees’ Association, where he always played the lead role. He was truly an exceptional actor. Interestingly, he wasn’t initially interested in films, but I pushed him,” Bahadur recalls.

The modesty and humility of Raj Bahadur lie in the fact that he never claims credit for Rajinikanth’s phenomenal success. He has chosen to live in obscurity, guarding his privacy so fiercely that finding his house in Chamarajpet, Bengaluru, is no easy task. His residence is a nondescript building tucked away in a narrow lane.

With age catching up and his hearing fading, he recalls his bond with Rajinikanth slowly, but his memory of those days remains sharp. In his tiny one-room home with an attached bathroom, Bahadur spoke to The Federal with his signature smile, vividly remembering the years he spent with the man who would go on to become Thalaivar.

Dedicated Dada Phalke award to Raj Bahadur

Over the years, Rajinikanth has never forgotten the role Raj Bahadur played in shaping his destiny. Their story is more than a footnote in cinema history — it is a testament to the power of belief, friendship, and unwavering support. At every major milestone, from film launches to national awards, the superstar makes it a point to honour his friend.

In 2021, when he received the 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 67th National Film Awards in New Delhi, Rajinikanth dedicated the honour to Raj Bahadur. “I dedicate this award to my friend in Karnataka — bus driver, my colleague — Raj Bahadur. When I was a bus conductor, it was Raj Bahadur who saw the actor in me. He believed in me when I didn’t; that is why I am here today,” Rajini said.

Also read: Rajinikanth’s Coolie breaks records, grosses Rs 250 cr globally in 2 days

Hearing his name at such a prestigious moment moved Raj Bahadur to tears. “It was not necessary for him to take my name while receiving the award. It shows his integrity, his humility, and the fact that he has never forgotten his journey. He has never forgotten his friends, who were the ones to encourage him. The love and affection between Rajinikanth and me —and indeed among all his friends — have remained the same for decades,” Bahadur said, his voice breaking with emotion.

After his conductor days, when Rajinikanth (then known as Shivaji) joined the Madras Film Institute in 1973, he shared accommodation with Ashok and Ravindranath. There were 36 students in the 1972 batch, chosen by a committee of stalwarts of South Indian cinema, including Puttanna Kanagal. Among those selected from Karnataka were Ashok, Ravindranath, Raghu, Chandrahasa Alwa, Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, Ameer Mulla, and Shashibhushan.

Ashok and Shivaji became close friends at the Institute. Ashok remembers Rajinikanth as a rough, hot-tempered young man. “He was a ruffian, and he looked the part. Often, he would act before thinking. It is still a mystery to me how such a person transformed into the calm, level-headed man we know today. Fame hasn’t changed him a bit,” Ashok recalled.

Friendship, faith, stardom

Recalling Shivaji’s financial struggles at the Institute, Ashok said: “Shivaji thought of quitting the course several times because of financial constraints. But he did not want to disappoint his friend Raj Bahadur, who had reposed faith in him. So, he continued his studies. Shivaji didn’t even have proper clothes to attend dance classes. The dance master asked him not to come until he got suitable attire.”

Ravindranath, one of the prominent directors of Kannada cinema who passed away in 2014, once told this writer: “When we were engaged in other activities, Shivaji was the only one who stayed back to practice various styles — including his walk, which later made him unique. I will never forget the cigarette flip, which he perfected after hours of practice at the Institute. While other students were focusing on natural acting methods, Shivaji’s eyes were set on stylistic techniques.”

Ashok remains proud of his friend Shivaji and said: “We have remained close friends to this day. I was Venugopal back then. Even now, Rajini calls me Venu, and he is still the same Shivaji to me. Whenever we meet, we feel the same warmth of friendship.” Smiling, Ashok wished him well: “May he continue his successful journey for another 50 years to come.”