A Low key Rajni B'day

The Padayappa Star has turned 58, and his fans are celebrating

With his recent release ‘Sivaji’ running successfully all over the country, the 58th birthday was a memorable one for the superstar Rajnikant on Wednesday. Fans across the city cut cakes and distributed sweets.



Fans in Murphy Town celebrated the birthday by cutting a 58 kg cake and distributing around 1,000 pieces of cakes to the poor and fans. Guna, an ardent fan of Rajni, said, “I have spent around Rs 18,000 for the celebration. Rajini’s film releasing day and his birthday has been a great day for celebration for us. Last year, we distributed around 1,000 plates of chicken briyani to the poor.
Rajan, another die hard fan, said, “I was waiting for this occasion ever since Sivaji’s release to celebrate the success of both the film and my ‘boss’.
We pray to the god to give him healthy life and keep giving scintillating films all through the year and entertaining his fans.”
Banners on the road side in Sivaji Nagar read, ‘Long live our Style Emperor’ an in many other areas, Rajni’s huge cutouts were displayed, carrying the flags of Karnataka and India. Besides, fans on Kamraj Road, Ulsoor, Cox Town, Frazer Town and Benson Town put up huge banners with posters from some of his super hit movies. Solar Ramesh, president of Rajni Fans Club in Ulsoor said, “this time we have put up only the banner and kept the celebration low profile.” Meantime, rumours of Rajnikant visiting the city kept media persons on their toes.

No Cake on Uma's Birthday

This story just so happened that when the then BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Uma Baharti had come back to the lake city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal to celebrate her birthday that she forced the State President Kailash Joshi to give her ladoos. Since I was present I the room I hit upon this idea of writing this story on how Uma Bharati just coming out of an controversy of offering an egg laced cake to Lord Hanuman during her election campaign which the Congress Party try to use to their advantage only to see themselves defeated by a whole lot of cream on their face by this very same sadhvi who cherished the cake for a year or so before her own party men played her spoils by snatching the cake from her to pass it to a older man and now with a fresh young blood of the right wing block.
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After the egg on her face imbroglio following offering a cake at Hanuman temple recently, BJP's chief ministerial candidate Uma Bharati has probably decided to shun like plague the egg-laced confectionery.
Apparently having decided not to touch a cake with the proverbial barge pole, her 44th birthday today (Saturday, May 3rd, 2003), was shorn of hype, glamour or yes, cake. If she was offered anything, it were the humble Mawa sweets.
The firebrand Sadhvi took a train from Gawalior to Hoshangabad where she performed Puja at the holy Narmada river in the morning. Then, it was time for a meeting. Later in the day, she arrived at her residence in the State capital.
After two hours of rest, she prayed to Gods and Goddesses for the party's fortunes at her home. The chief campaigner of the BJP is facing probably the sternest test of her turbulent political careers as she leads the party in the coming State Assembly elections.
While meeting a clutch of local corporators and party workers, Uma showed the signs of stress and exhaustion after the first leg of her 'Sankalp Yatra'. The travel-weary leader sported a forced smile on her face all the time.

A Gun-totting woman bodyguard brought a genuine smile to her lips when she presented Uma with a rose and a birthday wishes card. The bodyguard received a warm hug in return.
On her way out to the State BJP headquarters to hold a meeting with senior party leaders later, Uma stopped at the Banganga Durga Mandir only to find the temple doors locked. An Aarti she planned to perform there would have to wait for another day.
At the party headquarters, Uma was recevied by a handful of party workers. She proceeded to the first floor of the BJP headquarters where State party president Kailash Joshi blessed her. The party's State general secretary Kaptan Singh Solanki. also greeted her. Sweets, needless to say strictly milk-based, were also offred to her.