Rajinikanth delivers emotional speech at IFFI 2025: 'All this honour goes to Tamil people, the gods who keep me alive'

Rajinikanth was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the 56th International Film Festival of India, celebrating 50 years in cinema.

Rajinikanth was honoured with a prestigious lifetime achievement award at the closing ceremony of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, marking his remarkable 50-year milestone in the film industry. Taking the stage at the event, the 74-year-old superstar reflected on his journey, saying his five-decade-long career felt far shorter than it sounds.

Goa CM Pramod Sawant confered lifetime achievement award on actor Rajinikanth at Goa Film Festival on Friday. (PIB)(HT_PRINT)

Rajinikanth thanks Tamil people for his success

A clip of the superstar's speech surfaced online in which Rajinikanth expressed his overwhelming gratitude, stating, “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.” His heartfelt words earned him a standing ovation, as he acknowledged the audience with folded hands.

Rajinikanth arrived in Goa earlier in the day, receiving a warm welcome from hotel staff and enthusiastic fans. Videos circulating on social media showed him entering the venue to energetic dhol beats, greeting supporters with his signature humility. His family later joined him at the ceremony to share in the celebration of this monumental milestone.

About IFFI 2025

The festival, which concluded on 28 November, brought together filmmakers and artists from around the world, paying tribute to several cinematic legends. IFFI commemorated the centenaries of icons such as Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, P. Bhanumathi, Bhupen Hazarika, and Salil Chowdhury by screening restored versions of their classic works.

This year’s Indian Panorama section showcased a diverse line-up of 25 feature films, 20 non-feature films, and five debut features, reflecting the expanding creative landscape of Indian cinema and the rich array of voices emerging from across the country.