What can entrepreneurs learn from superstar Rajinikanth?
Apparently, a lot.
Start-up superstars — who attended an unusual session, ‘Entrepreneurship Lesson from Superstar Rajinikanth’s Career’ by actor and management trainer Mohan V. Raman at TiECON 2015 — believe in Rajinikanath.
After the session got over, business owners were chatting with each other about how specific sequences and dialogues from his films had helped them chart a successful course in their career.
A. Velumani, chairman of Thyorcare, said that from Pathinaaru Vayathinile to Padayappa, every film of Rajinikanath had a message. It was something people in the world of business could relate to, Mr. Velumani added.
Mr. Sukumar Rajagopal, programme coordinator at TiECON 2015, who is very passionate about Rajinikanth movies, compared the star to a serial entrepreneur.
“Every film of his is like a start-up where funds are raised by producers, ideas are pitched and finally it is sold in the market,” he said.
For Girish Mathrubootham, founder and CEO of Freshdesk, every dialogue of the superstar is a new lesson. For instance, the song Oruvan Oruvan from the film Muthu has a line which goes, “ kaiyil konjam kasu irunthal nee than atharku ejamanan kazhuthu varaikum kasu irunthal athuthan unaku ejamanan (if you have a little money in your hands you are its boss, if you have money till your neck, it will be your boss) has inspired Girish.
“I always tell my employees that when you focus more on money than on business, you tend to lose the plot. In another film, the actor says that money and fame should chase us and we should not chase them. Similarly, venture capitalists and investors should come behind us. This is what I tell my employees,” said Girish.
Over the years, Rajinikanth has become a brand and arguably the biggest actor in the industry.
A year ago, when he joined Twitter and even before he could send his first tweet, there were 17,000 followers. Mr. Raman pointed out the positive characters played by Rajinikanth.
“Rajini is very positive and does not have an ego. As entrepreneurs, we should be like that,” he said.
