Rajinikanth pleas fell on deaf ears as the fans splashed thousands of gallons of milk

India's demigod Rajinikanth's sway over the hearts and minds of viewers is thought to be so complete that at least 20,000 gallons milk is splashed every time the actor's film screened, according to WSJ.

The mass appeal of 71-year-old actor was so massive that even the megastar pleaded fans not to spilled milk, they, nonetheless, carried on, adding, a 40-year-old architect from Bangalore, Santosh says, "he can’t help himself."

Expressing their love for Thalaivar, fans often flocked to the cinema at unusual hours. When the actor's film Annaatthe was released, many avid fans lined up outside theatres since 4 am.

One of the fan revealed, "I never missed a ‘first day, first show’ of Rajinikanth’s films."

Many companies in India gave the day off to ward off their employees playing hooky to watch the screenings of the Tamil star.

With one company reasoned, "avoid piled up leave requests to the HR department". While another justified, "avoid sick leaves, mobile switch offs and mass bunks".

Tamil megastar Rajinikanth has starred in more than 160 films with his debut in 1975. The actor has received numerous laurels for his performances. His next much-anticipated film Jailer will hit theatres in 2023.