Rajinikanth fine, don't spread rumours, says wife

Superstar Rajinikanth is "fine" and "doing well", his wife and doctor announced outside a Chennai hospital on Thursday as legions of ardent fans prayed for his recovery.

The actor is still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Sri Ramachandra hospital but there is no reason to worry, said wife Latha Rajinikanth. "He is fine. It was an infection that has created an imbalance. He has been moved to ICU only to give more protection and give proper treatment because it's a sterile area," she said. "He is fine now."

Latha urged the 61-year-old actor's fans and journalists to give her family privacy and not speculate about his health.
"Rajinikanth is a human and he has a normal body. Please do not create news that may cause tension to his countless fans. I cannot respond to all the news items and gossip that are in circulation, but please do understand that he is a normal human being and like normal human beings he has a normal body that is prone to infection. Please allow us some privacy and peace," she told scores of mediapersons thronging the hospital.

Latha denied rumours Rajinikanth suffered renal failure. "Abosultely not, no kidney disorder," she said.
Dr S Thanikachalam, senior doctor at the hospital and a member of team that is treating the actor, denied that Rajinikanth had renal failure or a heart problem.

"He (Rajinikanth) had an infection. It created an imbalance in the body, which is being corrected. We had to examine all that and conducted a thorough check up. Today he is hale and healthy," he said.

Dr Thanikachalam said the actor was shifted to the ICU for a "sterile environment" and will be moved out this evening or on Friday.

Rajinikanth was moved to ICU on Wednesday to improve his breathing. Rajinikanth, a former bus conductor turned actor, fell ill on the first day's shooting of his new film Rana (The Monarch) at the end of April and has been admitted twice to hospital.

He has been in the private Sri Ramachandra hospital since last Friday. Medical sources said he is being treated for pneumonia and a kidney ailment.

On Monday, doctors removed fluid from his chest that was causing breathing difficulties.

Rajinikanth in intensive care

Indian film superstar Rajinikanth was being treated in intensive care for breathing problems on Thursday, doctors said, as legions of ardent fans prayed for his recovery.

The Sri Ramachandra hospital in the southern city of Chennai said that the 61-year-old Tamil language cinema icon was moved to a special ward on Wednesday to improve his breathing.

"He is showing a positive response to the treatment," the hospital said in a statement issued Wednesday evening.

Rajinikanth, a former bus conductor turned actor, fell ill on the first day's shooting of his new film "Rana" (The Monarch) at the end of April and has been admitted twice to hospital.

He has been in the private Sri Ramachandra hospital since last Friday. Medical sources said he is being treated for pneumonia and a kidney ailment.

On Monday, doctors removed fluid from his chest that was causing breathing difficulties.

"A multi-disciplinary team is closely watching his vital parameters to assess the benefits from a multi-pronged treatment strategy," the hospital statement said.

Rajinikanth, who has starred in more than 175 films, is one of India's biggest movie stars and inspires fanatical devotion from his many fans.

One fan, Karthik H, wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter, "You have problematic kidneys? I have two clean ones. Take one. Please get back to acting soon."

The star's family, though, has urged fans not to hold a vigil at the hospital but instead to offer prayers at local temples.

Last year he starred in "Endhiran" (Robot), the most expensive Indian movie ever made, which broke box office records. (AFP)

Dixit 'turns down film with Rajinikanth'

Madhuri Dixit is reported to have turned down the opportunity to act with leading southern star Rajinikanth.

The 43-year-old told the actor that she instead would be returning to the US, as she misses her children, Hindustan Times reports.

The Dil To Pagal Hai actor, who had previously worked opposite Rajnikanth in 1987, has been living outside India for a number of years.

Dixit had been offered one of the lead roles in the project, which also features Deepika Padukone.

The veteran actress was last seen in the 2007 semi-hit Aaja Nachle.

Rajini offended at being called God

With temples after his name and a fan-following across the globe, it's no surprise that Rajinikanth has achieved a god-like status. But the superstar took offence at being called God.



As Rajinikanth's Endhiran made a record-breaking opening on day one all across the globe, another low-budget film Khichdi paid homage to the star in a promo for their film.

JD Majethia, the producer of Khichdi told Mumbai Mirror, "I got the call on Monday. Apparently, Rajini sir had asked his assistant to find out the exact nature of the promo. The assistant told me that Rajini sir did not like to be referred as God.

I told the assistant that we all have immense respect for Rajni sir and are huge fans of his. It is both unfortunate and fortunate that our humble effort released with his film. It is unfortunate that we had to clash our film with his although it was never planned that way; the fortunate part is that in spite of such stiff competition with Robot and Anjaana Anjaani, our film stood its ground and has done very good business."

Majethia also clarified that the referance to Rajini was not negative, "The characters of the film are so stupid that they do not even recognise God when he comes in front of them. Since they have heard so much about the temples being made for Rajinikanth, they think that Rajinikanth is God. It is a sequence on Hansa and Praful. I would have removed the scene if Rajini sir had insisted on it but it's fine now."

Well this is one actor who surely knows where to draw the line.