Rajinikanth at IFFI 2025: “All Honour Belongs to Tamil People and the Gods”

Rajinikanth Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at IFFI 2025, Pays Tribute to Tamil People and Gods.

At the closing ceremony of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, Rajinikanth was bestowed with a prestigious lifetime achievement award, celebrating his extraordinary 50-year journey in cinema. The 74-year-old superstar described his five-decade-long career as feeling “far shorter than it sounds,” reflecting on the path that made him a global icon.

In a heartfelt speech, Rajinikanth expressed gratitude to the Tamil people and divine blessings that he credits for his success. “Fifty years of acting in cinema felt like 10 or 15 years. If there are 100 more janams (lives), I would like to be born as an actor and as Rajinikanth. All this honour goes to the cinema industry and mainly to the Tamil people, the gods who keep me alive,” he said, receiving a standing ovation from the audience.

Rajinikanth arrived in Goa to a warm welcome, greeted by fans and hotel staff, with videos showing him entering to the rhythm of energetic dhol beats. His family later joined him on stage, sharing in the celebration of this monumental milestone.

About IFFI 2025

The festival, which concluded on 28 November, brought together filmmakers and artists from across the globe. It paid tribute to cinematic legends, commemorating centenaries of icons such as Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, P. Bhanumathi, Bhupen Hazarika, and Salil Chowdhury, screening restored versions of their classic works.