That Rajni is the star and Kamal is the actor is a fairly common notion among fans of Tamil cinema. It is true, of course, to a fairly large extent. To his credit, though, Rajnikanth has made many a fine movie, at least before the mantle of the Superstar Of Southern Cinema fell on his shoulders.
Aarilirindhu Aruvathu Varai will never feature in any list of Rajni's most-successful movies. If anything, it was one of his least successful flicks. Then again, commercial success is never an indicator of the quality of a movie, is it? The movie is a portrayal of the life of Santhanam, the eldest son of a poor widow barely able to make ends meet. He spends the first half of his life toiling night and day to afford his younger siblings an education and spends the second watching them lead comfortable lives while he continues his struggle for survival. He is ably supported by Cho, who plays his equally poverty-stricken friend. For a movie with a premise this tragic, the movie also produces quite a few laughs, courtesy Cho's stinging digs at society and politics.
Though a tad predictable at times, the movie is still a must-watch for the generation that has grown up watching Rajni punch through walls and stop bullets in mid-air, for them to realize that Rajnikanth wasn't always a superstar. He was once an actor. And a brilliant one at that.
