Dr Pannirselvan Jakathesan has collected so much memorabilia of Rajinikanth – real name Shivaji Rao Gaikwad – that he has stamped his name in the Asian, Indian and Malaysian record books.
It all began when he was younger and his mother would bring him to watch films starring the actor. Witnessing the charismatic man act, fight and dance – Rajinikanth has appeared in close to 170 films! – he was fascinated by his larger-than-life presence.
Uniquely, they even share the same birthdate: Dec 12.
When Pannirselvan went to India to further his studies in medicine, he discovered more things to admire about the charismatic star.
“As I read newspapers and magazines, I learnt more about his personal life. Despite being in such a high position, he was simple and devoted to his spiritual life,” said the 49-year-old, who has a clinic in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Pannirselvan’s foray into memorabilia began in 2010 when he went to the cinema to watch “Enthiran”, and a figurine of the actor caught his eye. “It was my first time seeing something like that about Rajinikanth. I found it very unique,” he recalled.
He couldn’t leave without it and, until today, the figurine has a special place in his heart.
Over the years, he would add more to his collection, including magazines, face masks, bottles, coins, mugs and posters. To date, he estimates he has spent between RM70,000 and RM80,000 on memorabilia!
Most of the items, he added, come from India: two of his former medical-school classmates assisted him with these purchases. The rest were sourced locally as well as from Singapore, Sri Lanka, and even Japan.
He also shared an amusing story about how he’d obtained a coin of Rajinikanth. “When the movie ‘Petta’ was released, there was a competition for those who bought the highest number of tickets. The first five winners would win iPhones, and the second five would win gold coins,” Pannirselvan recalled.
So, he gathered his relatives and bought tickets for the movie – and ended up winning an iPhone! “I should have reduced the number of people I brought!” he quipped, adding that he later bought the gold coin from a friend.
In 2020, Pannirselvan first made his mark in the India Book of Records for his collection of 258 items. Later that year, he stamped his name in the Asia Book of Records with 349 items.
Finally, last month, he received an award from the Malaysia Book of Records for the “Largest Rajinikanth Memorabilia Collection by an Individual”, with 475 items.
And he has no plans to stop: next year, Pannirselvan is setting his sights on the Limca Book of Records – an annual Indian publication – which requires him to own over 500 items.
What’s so special about next year? “It’s Rajinikanth’s 50th year in the film industry,” he revealed.
One moment that will forever stand out in his memory is when he caught a glimpse of Rajinikanth in action while he’d been filming the movie “Kabali” in the Klang Valley.
It was Pannirselvan’s first time seeing Rajinikanth in person, which he describes as a “goosebumps moment”.
Needless to say, for the good doctor, there’s no actor quite like Rajinikanth. Describing him as “the one and only”, he concluded: “He has also taught me lessons about being hardworking, humble, and simple.”