The Name is Rajnikanth

I read it and you know what, I liked it! I had read so many reviews trashing the book in both the blog and print world, that my expectations for this book were rock bottom. The book is all it claims to be and all it is accused to be. It definitely presented a very honest and detached view and narrative of our thalaivar’s life. The author made no attempts to sugercoat the superstar’s vices or past misdeeds. It wasn’t a fan’s account of Rajni’s life either. There was no holier than thou attitude in the book and nor did she make it sound like a devotee’s tribute. The book was a racy, interest binding and an honest narrative of what made Rajnikanth the man he is today. I am a huge Rajni fan too, and the author’s approach to the biography really appealed to my sensibilities. Sure, the grammar was terrible in places and there were some glaring factual errors in some of the film names she quoted. But these for me, only added to the casual conversational story telling style of the book. I was really impressed about how the author managed to retain her perspective despite being a huge fan and presented the facts as they were. Her accounts of Rajni’s childhood and time at the film institute were surely new to me. Especially the story about New Woodlands and the buying of the building next to Palmgrove.  What I didn’t like was the cover design and the awful picture of the blond Rajni from Sivaji.  Surely there are better pictures of the superstar that bring out his magnetism and charisma! And also I was expecting a foreword/afterword from Kamal and(or) KB. Not sure where, but I had read somewhere that there was going to be one. I definitely was looking forward to that.