(Image source from: Facts about Rajinikanth we bet you didnt know })

That Rajinikanth is not just a megastar, but a phenomenon is no secret. Idolized as god by fans across the world, the legendary actor has played diverse roles in his career spanning over four decades. As his magnum opus “Kochadaiiyaan” hits the theaters today, there is frenzy among hos fans. Reportedly, some of his fans were seen bathing “Kochdaiiyaan” posters with milk in Chennai early this morning. As the excitement around the megastar and his mega release shoots through the roof, we give you a sneak-peek into some of the lesser known facts about Rajinikanth. Read on.

• Did you know that matinee king Rajinikanth never attends his film's public screenings? Call it superstition or whatever you may, the superstar always flies out of Chennai to the Himalayas during the release of his films.

• The Thalaivar is the highest paid actor in India and the second highest in Asia. Rajinikanth's charges Rs 26 crores per film.

• When Rajinikanth made his debut on Twitter early this month, he attracted almost 150,000 'followers' on his first day — a new record!

• Did you know Rajinikanth has not died on-screen for many years now? The directors fear that killing his character on-scree could send fans on a rampage.

• Rajinikanth is the first Indian actor to have appeared in various forms of cinema like black-and-white, color, 3D and motion capture.

• Rajinikanth's film Enthiran is the only Tamil film to make it to the IMDb's Top 50 films from around the world list in 2010. Not just that, the film is being used as a case study in an IIM-A postgraduate elective course, Contemporary Film Industry: A Business Perspective. The sci-fi is also the highest grossing Indian film of all time.

  AW : Suchorita Choudhury