Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
In a few months, Rajinikanth would complete 50 years as an actor, and interestingly, he started off playing a cameo in the 1975 movie Aboorva Ragangal, headlined by Kamal Haasan and Srividya. The K Balachander film marked the first onscreen appearance of Rajinikanth, and started one of the most glorious chapters of Indian cinema. It also marked the first step in a friendship that has not just stood the test of time, but also became the benchmark for how two stalwarts of the industry should navigate their careers—fostering healthy competition and mutual respect.
Interestingly, after working in almost 20-odd films together, one fine day, both Rajinikanth and Kamal appeared in a joint press conference to announce their decision to not work together. Recollecting the thought process that went into such a decision, Kamal, in a 2012 NDTV interview, said, “More than wisdom, it was a very practical choice. Filmmakers were dividing our remuneration, and we were put in a place where we couldn’t ask for our worth. When we split, the success and credit went to each deserving person, and our price doubled. At that moment, we thought like businessmen.”
ALSO READ | When superstar Rajinikanth helped ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay convince his father to launch him as an actor
Kamal Haasan also said that it came from a place of not wanting to be taken for a ride by certain filmmakers. Despite being mentored by the same guru, K Balachander, the paths of Kamal and Rajinikanth were distinctly different.
Discussing how this wasn’t any planned strategy per se, Kamal said, “Even after all these years, there is a great level of competition between us. We will not let go of that stance. But the equipoise and understanding of each other’s position came about because we came from the same school. Right from the beginning, our egos were blunted by our mentor. He asked us to do different things, and it was almost like we were psychologically compartmentalised.”
But this 50-year journey has seen them go through a lot of things separately and together, but their mutual admiration and friendship never waned. This can be seen in the way both of them talk about each other in any public forum.
On the acting front, Kamal Haasan, who was last seen in Indian 2, will next be seen in Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life, which will hit the screens on June 5. On the other hand, Rajinikanth, who recently completed the shooting of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie, will next star in Nelson’s Jailer 2. Coolie, which also stars Sathyaraj, Nagarjuna, and Shruti Haasan, is expected to be released later this year.
Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.
