Rajini and Haasan shared the dias at a function in Chennai.
In Tamil Nadu, it is no secret that politics and cinema go hand in hand. This was seen once again on Sunday when superstar Rajinikanth used the inaugural of legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan’s memorial in Chennai to send out a political message that cinema fame alone does not guarantee a successful political career. He also revealed that actor Kamal Haasan who is openly talking about his political entry, wanted him to join hands with him.
Sharing the dais with deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and actor Kamal Haasan here, Rajinikanth said that Sivaji has taught a lesson to his juniors (in cinema) not only in action, but in politics too. “Sivaji sir started his own political party and lost his own seat in the polls. There is a lesson in it. To emerge successful in politics, it is not only enough to have cinema fame and name. We need something more than (fame) only people know what it is,” he said.
Rajini said that Haasan knows what it requires to emerge successful in politics but he won’t share it with him. “If I had asked him two months ago, maybe he would have told me. Now when I ask him as a senior in the film industry, he says “come with me, I’ll tell you,” he said breaking into laughter with Haasan looking at him.
The superstar was apparently replying to Haasan who has been more vocal about his political ambitions telling reporters that he would not hesitate to join hands with Rajini and even if he needs to take on Rajini in future they would remain decent in attacking each other.
Haasan, earlier, took pot shots at the AIADMK government saying that there was no need to plead with anybody to show respect to the veteran actor. A controversy broke out over the inauguration of the memorial as it was earlier planned to be opened by Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar. However, Sivaji’s family members and the film fraternity wanted the memorial to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami or Panneerselvam. “How many ever governments come, they have to respect the actor. For this we need not plead with anybody," he said.
Interestingly, Haasan who has been criticizing the AIADMK government did not mention the names of Panneerselvam or others ministers present at the dais.
Rajinikanth had told his fans in May that God willing, he would join politics. After dropping hints of taking the political plunge, the actor has been evading any queries on politics and giving cryptic replies. On the other hand, Haasan who was more vocal in his criticism of the ruling AIADMK government through his tweets announced his plans to float his own political party as none of the existing parties provide him the platform to take forward his reformatory ideology. He also met CPI (M)’s Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and AAP’s Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal which he claims is part of his educational tourism.
The 28,300 sq ft Sivaji Ganesan memorial has been built by the Public Works Department at a cost of Rs 2.80 crore at Adyar in the Dravidian style of architecture. In 2015, then chief minister Jayalalithaa had announced in the Assembly that a memorial will be built honouring Sivaji Ganesan, who ruled the Tamil film world since the 1950s. A winner of the coveted Dada Saheb Phalke award, Ganesan had acted in over 300 films most of which were big hits. He passed away on July 21, 2001.
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 "Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth")
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