Revival dose: The resilient Brand Rajini returns to theatres today

But the only brands Rajinikanth himself has endorsed are Palm Cola, in the 1980s, and now his daughter's social media app, Hoote

“Superstar Rajinikanth is a genre unto himself,” says Sivakumar Jayakumar (better known as Siva), director of Annaatthe (Big Brother), Rajini’s latest film that hits screens on Diwali (November 4) If the actor’s last five films — Darbar, Petta, 2.0, Kaala and Kabali — are anything to go by, Siva is not exaggerating. The movies together collected between Rs 1,700 crore and Rs 2,500 crore, proving yet again that Rajinikanth remains one of the most bankable actors in India.

For years, brands have chased him. And for years, he has evaded them, endorsing only two during his long cinematic career that