Tamil superstar Rajinikanth played a cameo in a Bengali film starring Mithun Chakraborty — his only appearance in Bengali cinema in a 50-year acting career.

Titled Bhagya Debata (1995), the film featured Rajinikanth in a special role as a singer. The film also stars Soumitra Chattopadhyay and Rituparna Sengupta in pivotal roles. It was later dubbed in Hindi as Krantikari.

Bhagya Debata title song featuring Rajinikanth went on to become quite popular upon release. The number carried a philosophical message about human destiny, reminding listeners never to lose hope even in the face of adversity.

As per media reports, it was Mithun Chakraborty who personally requested Rajinikanth to make the special appearance. The Tamil superstar, known for his humility and warm camaraderie with colleagues, agreed to take time out for the Bengali film.

In this 1995 action drama steeped in themes of revenge and justice, Mithun portrayed Jagadish Mondal, a fearless man devoted to fighting for the rights of the poor and oppressed. The film marked one of the rare on-screen collaborations between Mithun and Rajinikanth. Apart from Bhagya Debata, the duo also shared screen space in Bhrashtachar (1989).

Rajinikanth was last seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie.

Coolie is Rajinikanth’s 171st film as a lead actor. It marked his first collaboration with Kanagaraj. It features Rajinikanth in the titular role of a labour union leader who stands up to a corrupt syndicate that exploits and abuses his former colleagues in a port town.

Rajinikanth will be next seen in Nelson Dilipku.