Mumbai, Dec 13 (IANS): Megastar Rajinikanth says he is filled with pride and joy that his fans came together to help the flood-hit Chennai get back to normalcy.

“To all my dear fans who stood and lived up to the hour of need for our Chennai... heartfelt thanks... Nothing could make me happier and proud,” Rajinikanth tweeted a day after he turned 64.

Ahead of his birthday, the cine icon had urged his fans to call off his birthday celebrations due to the grave situation caused by heavy rains in Tamil Nadu. However, that didn't deter fans from pouring in their wishes for the actor.

Humbled by the love, Rajinikanth posted: “To friends, colleagues, well wishers and my dearest fans who are closest to my heart... Thank you for all the wishes.”

Heavy rains pounded many parts of Tamil Nadu over the past few weeks. Although the downpour has stopped and the water level has receded in many places, the city and its people are still limping back to normalcy.

Rajinikanth, who made his debut with filmmaker K. Balachander's Tamil drama “Apoorva Raagangal” in 1975, went on to star in films like “Mullum Malarum”, “Moondru Mugam”, “Kalaimamani”, “Muthu”, “Sivaji” and “Enthiran”. He is known for his inimitable style and witty one-liners.