Rajinikanth mania swept India at a cost: Thousands of gallons of milk

Pan-Indian superstar's Rajinikanth fame can be gauged from the fact that no less than 20,000 gallons of milk is showered in India, whenever the actor's film is screened, as per Wall Street Journal.

The mass appeal of 71-year-old actor was so massive that even the megastar pleaded fans not to spill milk. They, nonetheless, carried on, adding, a 40-year-old architect from Bangalore, Santosh says, "he can’t help himself."

Expressing their love for Thalaivar, fans often flocked to the cinema at unusual hours. When the actor's film Annaatthe was released, many avid fans lined up outside theatres since 4 am.

One of the fans revealed, "I never missed a ‘first day, first show’ of Rajinikanth’s films."

Many companies in India gave the day off to ward off their employees playing hooky to watch the screenings of the Tamil star.

With one company reasoned, "avoid piled up leave requests to the HR department". While another justified, "avoid sick leaves, mobile switch offs and mass bunks".

Tamil megastar Rajinikanth has starred in more than 160 films with his debut in 1975. The actor has received numerous laurels for his performances. His next much-anticipated film Jailer will hit theatres in 2023.