Kamal Haasan breaks silence: Why he never worked with Rajinikanth in 40 years despite close bond
Kamal Haasan breaks silence: Why he never worked with Rajinikanth in 40 years despite close bond
Despite their close bond and shared history, the iconic Tamil actors chose separate paths to avoid direct competition, revealing a mutual decision made early in their careers.
Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, the two biggest superstars in the Tamil film industry. They acted together in nearly 16 films, including Apoorva Raagangal, Aval Appadithan, 16 Vayathinile, Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu, Thillu Mullu, and Ninaithale Inikkum. The duo was last seen together in the Hindi film, Geraftaar (1985), alongside Amitabh Bachchan.
Key Points
• Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth have been friends for several decades
• In a recent interview, Kamal Haasan called Rajinikanth his competitor
• He also added that they never make snide remarks about each other
However, after achieving superstardom, they haven’t worked in any films together. Recently, Kamal Haasan addressed why he and Rajinikanth haven’t worked together for decades. When asked whether they might collaborate in the future. “It’s not a new combination. We have done many films together. Then we decided not to work together. We are not like two competitors. We had the same mentor (Tamil filmmaker K. Balachander). Unlike any other place, the competition is there, openly. But there’s no envy and it’s two different paths,” Haasan explained in an interview. “We also never make snide remarks about each other. We made this call when we were in our 20s; it’s not that we became older and wiser now.”
Haasan highlighted their mutual respect and the conscious decision they made early in their careers to pursue separate paths. They continue to avoid direct competition while maintaining a supportive relationship.
In a recent interview, Haasan also expressed gratitude towards his Hindi-speaking audience for their acceptance. He reminisced about his Hindi film debut with Ek Duuje Ke Liye in 1981, a remake of his Telugu-language film Maro Charitra directed by K. Balachander. At the trailer launch of the Hindi version of Indian 2, Haasan recalled, “I used to think I’m from Tamil Nadu and that’s my place. You taught me 35 or more years ago that I’m an Indian. I was just a South Indian actor; you people made me into an Indian actor. I’m ever so grateful. I didn’t know a word of Hindi when I was doing my first film. I was exactly what the hero of Ek Duuje Ke Liye was and without your support and applause, I couldn’t have come back onto this stage.”
Meanwhile, Rajinikanth is gearing up for his next project with director TJ Gnanavel, Vettaiyan, set to release on October 10, alongside Suriya’s Kanguva. Rajinikanth will also begin shooting for Lokesh Kanagaraj’s, Coolie in July.
The mutual respect and admiration between Haasan and Rajinikanth remain strong, with both icons continuing to thrive in their individual careers while upholding the unique camaraderie they share.
