Superstar Rajinikanth, who has been in the spotlight for his on-again-off-again entry into politics, penned an emotional article in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) mouthpiece ‘Murasoli‘ to honor the late Chief Minister and DMK patriarch, Kalaignar MK Karunanidhi, as part of the ongoing centenary celebrations. The article, titled ‘I had a special place in Kalaignar’s heart‘ provided a glimpse into Rajinikanth’s relationship with the former DMK chief and wrote about their key interactions.
Rajinikanth expressed deep admiration for Karunanidhi’s role in propelling legendary Tamil actors MG Ramachandran (MGR) and Sivaji Ganesan to stardom. He described how Karunanidhi’s fiery and revolutionary dialogues turned these actors into superheroes of the Tamil film industry.
In the article, Rajinikanth recalled an incident from 1980 when he was set to act in a film for which Karunanidhi had agreed to write the dialogues. Initially, he was apprehensive about speaking Karunanidhi’s dialogues, fearing his own limitations in mastering Tamil verses. He even recalled how he contemplated returning to his previous job as a bus conductor in Karnataka. “I was already struggling to speak simple Tamil verses and act. I told the producer that it was impossible; I might run away to Karnataka and restart my bus conductor work selling tickets again rather than act for his dialogues”, he wrote.
போன மாசம் யோகி ஆதித்யநாத் மனசுல இருந்தீங்களா தலைவரே @rajinikanth pic.twitter.com/Vnh2seNvbD
— Savukku Shankar (@SavukkuOfficial) October 4, 2023
However, he decided to meet Karunanidhi in person at his Gopalapuram residence to discuss his concerns. “I am struggling to speak simple Tamil. How can I speak your verses when that is the case? I can’t. Don’t get it wrong,” Rajinikanth apparently told Karunanidhi to which the latter had replied saying “I know exactly how to write for you. I will not write to MGR as I write to Shivaji… Similarly I will not write to Shivaji as I write to MGR. I have seen your films. I will write for your style“.
Suddenly an idea seems to have struck Rajini and he said “Sir, we will change some lines and delete some lines. In that case, your verses cannot be edited or deleted. It will not be right either.” to which Karunanidhi said, “Change it.. There is nothing wrong. Is it Thirukkural to not be changed?”
Rajinikanth was caught unawares and explains in the article saying “All my smartness turned to ashes in an instant. I was silent without understanding anything.”
“Noticing this, Kalaignar smiled and said, ‘Let whoever wrote the verses before write it… I won’t take it wrong… Don’t worry…’ and told his assistant to call the producer.“, Rajini narrates in the Murasoli article.
Karunanidhi apparently told the producer, “It will be difficult for him to speak my lines. I said I will write in his style. He also agreed. But Rajini says that the shooting is on the 10th of this month… I was thinking next month… Time is very tight. I already have a lot of work lined up. So I can’t write dialogues for this film. We will see about this for the next film.”
“What Rajini? Are you satisfied now?” Karuananidhi asked Rajini, the latter says in the article.
Rajinikanth appreciated Karunanidhi handling the situation diplomatically and goes on to regret “Should I’ve acted mouthing his lines? Did I commit a mistake? A feeling of guilt is still present in me.”
Rajinikanth also reminisced about his first encounter with Karunanidhi in 1977 when the latter’s car approached him on Music Academy road in Chennai. Karunanidhi’s warm smile and wave at him during that encounter left an indelible mark on Rajinikanth it seems.
The article not only reflected Rajinikanth’s admiration for Karunanidhi but also highlighted the important role the late leader played in shaping the careers of iconic actors and his influence on the Tamil film industry.
It’s worth noting that Rajinikanth has been oscillating between entering the political arena and stepping back, citing health concerns. While he had initially announced his intention to launch a political party, he later backtracked, citing his health condition as the reason. However, political observers continue to speculate about his potential political foray.
Rajinikanth recently acted in the film ‘Jailer’ which was produced by Kalanithi Maran, the brother of DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran. gifted the actor a brand new BMW X7, valued at approximately ₹1.25 crores. Apart from this, Maran, as the owner of Sun Pictures, which has produced the film, presented the actor with a cheque rumoured to be for ₹100 crores. This meeting took place on the evening of 31 August 2023.
#JailerSuccessCelebrations continue! Superstar @rajinikanth was shown various car models and Mr.Kalanithi Maran presented the key to a brand new BMW X7 which Superstar chose. pic.twitter.com/tI5BvqlRor
— Sun Pictures (@sunpictures) September 1, 2023
Sun Pictures is also producing the tentatively titled “Thalaivar 171” which is being directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj of Vikram fame.
In the midst of this, Rajinikanth’s tribute to Karunanidhi in ‘Murasoli,’ a newspaper that had previously published critical articles about him, shows that Rajinikanth has come a full circle.
In 2018, Murasoli published a satirical article titled “He is the black sheep meh meh meh,” which alluded to a famous dialogue from Rajinikanth’s Endhiran movie, criticised him for not acknowledging the dedicated efforts of his fans over the years.
Reports suggest that a displeased Rajinikanth reportedly had a conversation with DMK leader MK Stalin, following which an ‘advisory’ was published in the Murasoli newspaper. This advisory featured a brief statement issued by Murasoli’s editor, S. Selvam, without providing specific details about who was offended or why. The newspaper did not issue a formal apology.
Another article published earlier in October that year accused Rajinikanth of being influenced by certain individuals and receiving support from “communal” elements. This article was presented in a question-and-answer format under the pseudonym “Silanthi” (meaning ‘spider’ in Tamil). It suggested that those advocating for Rajinikanth in the media were divisive elements seeking to disrupt Tamil society, which had transcended caste and religion. The article cautioned Rajinikanth to be cautious, warning that those aligning with this group would lose their appeal.
After receiving such backlash from the DMK mouthpiece, it is ironic that Rajinikanth chose to write in the same magazine about Karunanidhi. It is worth noting that after the success of his film Jailer, Sun Pictures’ Kalanidhi Maran presented him with a cheque and also gifted him a BMW X7.
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