The Indian film industry, which produces twice as many movies as Hollywood, has many stars–but only one Superstar.

His real name is Rajinikanth, but performing under the name Superstar, the 58-year-old former bus conductor from Bangalore is second only to Jackie Chan among the highest paid actors in Asia. And his latest film is opening in St. Louis Friday.

In case you’ve never heard of him, here is an excerpt from his biography on IMDB:

His unique acting style is characterised by a trademark gesture: flipping a cigarette in the air and catching it in his mouth. His dark skin and heavy-lidded eyes have made him the hero of the lower classes. His fans conduct poojas (ritual offerings) on huge cutouts of Rajnikanth just before the launching of his films to ensure his success. His fans collect opening day ticket stubs of his movies and even buy them at exorbitant prices. Directors cannot ‘kill off’ his character in the movie for fear that the theatre will be burnt down to prevent future runnings of the movie by his ‘crazed’ fans who consider him almost a god. He is said to “explode like a tiger on screen.”

You can experience the hysteria for yourself when his new movie “Kuselan” screens for the next three weekends at the St. Charles 18 Cine.

Hindi-language films from India have been screening at the St. Charles 18 Cine for several years. But Rajinikanth is the hero of the Tamil minority (although he is not a Tamil), and his films are in that language. “Kuselan” screens for the next three Fridays at 8:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. , and Sundays at 3 p.m.

And if your Tamil is rusty and you’d rather watch a movie in the Telugu language, Superstar’s “Kathanayakudu” is screening Fridays at 9:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m.

Tickets for either movie are $15. For more information visit www.stltamilmovies.com.

And if you’re still not curious, behold this mind-blowing clip from “Kuselan”: