India, Nov. 20 -- O n November 19, the full-page tribute ran, and by the morning of November 20, it wasn't just the pages of Hindustan Times that carried the message, but thousands of hearts across the nation. Yesterday morning, fans of actor Rajinikanth woke up to celebrations: for five decades, he has entertained Indian audiences and embodied the "superstar" label. And today, his legacy is front-page news. In a tribute befitting his journey, Hindustan Times and OTTplay transformed the HT front page into "Rajinikanth Times", the first time in the paper's century-long history that a front page has been dedicated to a single individual. This tribute marks his 50-year milestone in cinema, spotlighting his Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan honours and iconic films from Mullum Malarum and Annamalai to Sivaji: The Boss. Rajinikanth himself acknowledged the moment and expressed his appreciation. Meanwhile, across theatres, social media and fan clubs, the mood was jubilant. From early morning WhatsApp groups buzzing with screenshots, to radio dedications from Fever FM and cine-forums lighting up, his fandom woke, celebrated and shared moments of pride. The tribute marks the coming together of two of the biggest entities in India: Hindustan Times and Rajinikanth, and also emerges as one of the boldest editorial-driven brand innovations of the year, saluting one of India's greatest cinematic icons, htc...