Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan are ‘like brothers’, says Suhasini Maniratnam: ‘If Kamal gets injured, Rajini sir will immediately call me and ask…’

Reports of Tamil cinema’s biggest icons, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, reuniting on screen after 46 years have set the internet abuzz. The news was confirmed at the recently held SIIMA festival in Dubai, where Kamal Haasan himself hinted at their much-awaited collaboration. According to reports, the duo will be joining hands for a film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the filmmaker behind films like Leo (2023) and Coolie (2025). The last time the two actors shared the screen was in Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum (1979), based on the One Thousand and One Nights tale of Aladdin. In the film, Kamal played the protagonist Alavuddin, while Rajinikanth essayed the role of his rival, Kamaruddin.

Over the decades, both actors have carved their own unmatched legacies, but their bond has remained intact. Actor Suhasini Maniratnam, who is also the wife of filmmaker Mani Ratnam and cousin of Kamal Haasan, spoke about this relationship at SIIMA, describing them as “like brothers.” She recalled: “If Kamal gets injured while shooting, Rajini sir will immediately call me and ask, ‘Is Kamal in a lot of pain?’ If I say yes, he will reply, ‘If Kamal says pain, it must be true because he never complains.’ That shows their closeness.”

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Speculation around their reunion first began when Rajinikanth, at the trailer launch of Coolie, playfully asked, “Did Kamal Haasan make a cameo?”

When Kamal Haasan confirmed film with Rajinikanth

At SIIMA, Kamal addressed the rumours with his trademark humour. When the host, actor-comedian Sathish, asked the veteran star if the news doing the rounds holds any truth, Haasan replied in the affirmative. “We were united long ago, but chose to remain apart because they kept splitting a biscuit and giving us only half each. We wanted a full biscuit each, and we got it and relished it well. Now we are content with just half a biscuit again, so we have come together.”