Today, however, as the superstar turns 57, the cries from his fans have been reignited with fresh passion, probably because of the rousing success of his latest hit Sivaji and fuelled by rumours that the star is contemplating entering politics.
This poster deifying him as the chief minister of the film industry and urging him to step up to become the chief minister of the state surfaced in the southern Tamil Nadu city of Madurai on December 11.
This led to a flurry of activity all over the state with fan clubs redoing their posters to go one up on each other and exhort their star to enter politics.
Photograph: G K Sundar