Actor-turned-politician, Kamal Haasan on Sunday said that there was a hue of saffron in Rajinikanth’s politics and until that changed, he won’t enter into an alliance with the south superstar. “There is a hue of saffron in Rajni’s politics. If that doesn’t change then I don’t see an alliance with him. We are good friends but politics is different,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
It seems now in the political realm, the iconic Rajinikanth-Kamal Haasan rivalry will be continued. The Super Star Rajnikant’s entry in politics was highly awaited one but his announcement comes at a time after power struggle grappled Tamil Nadu.
Now that Tamil Nadu needs a stable political party and a leader to follow since the state is volatile due to the power vacuum left behind by the passing of J Jayalalithaa, Rajnikant’s entry in politics is expected to change the dynamics of politics in Tamil Nadu forever.
Following Rajnikanth’s announcement, Kamal Haasan wrote on Twitter saying, “I welcome brother Rajini’s sense of social responsibility and political entry.” Interestingly, Rajnikanth’s arch-rival Kamal Haasan too had declared his entry in politics early last year. However, it’s worth pointing out that the rivalry between both the superstars was a healthy one.
The rivalry between the actors started years ago when Rajnikanth went to Balachander seeking a chance to act in movies after completing training from the film institute in Madras (now Chennai). Kamal, who was already a star at the time, was scared that this novice may bag an interesting role in his mentor Balachander’s next film.
“I came to know that Balachander sir was auditioning actors for his next film. I was concerned that somebody else may get a good role. When I ran to his office, I heard a few have come from film institutes. A person of Pune film institute was also there. For some reasons, he did not impress Balachander,” Kamal said speaking at a film event earlier.
“I looked through the small window on the door at Balachander sir’s office. There was one person. I asked whether he was also from Pune institute. Before entering the office he said he was from Madras institute. That person was Rajinikanth,” Kamal said. “Balachander sir liked him and I was worried the good role will go to him.”
Nevertheless, the late legendary director had to clarify Kamal by reminding him he was still the hero in his film and Rajinikanth was just getting a minor role. Apparently, Kamal subconsciously aware right at the instant that Rajinikanth would go on to become his major rival in the film industry. And now in politics.
Both Kamal and Rajinikanth became cornerstones in Tamil Cinema. They approached the art of acting in different ways. Kamal became a critically acclaimed actor while Rajinikanth became a mass hero.
Even in politics, they have a different take. Kamal is a rationalist and Rajinikanth is a hard-core believer in God. The former had made it clear at once that “saffron is not my” colour, while the latter has repeatedly demonstrated his liking to the BJP.
Kamal appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the demonetisation however, he criticized him when economic experts suggested it was a failure. Kamal later apologized supporting demonetisation without understanding it completely. Even Rajinikanth praised PM Modi for scrapping the high-value value notes although he did not react after it was reported that the government botched up the scheme.
Though both actors approached various issues differently, they share a common goal: to deliver a clean and efficient government. Both assured that if they are voted to power, with people’s welfare being the priority without falling into the vicious power struggle and engage in dirty politics to stay in the position of power.