Rajinikanth’s Regret Over Political Fallout

Rajinikanth and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa shared a famously tense relationship. Their rivalry began after Jayalalithaa became Chief Minister in 1991.

As her political power grew, so did criticisms of her authoritarian style which Rajinikanth didn’t approve of. A turning point came when his car was intentionally stopped to let her convoy pass a move he saw as disrespectful and arrogant. This incident reportedly sparked his opposition to her leadership.

In 1995, during the 100th-day celebration of Baasha, Rajinikanth spoke about a ‘bomb culture’ in Tamil Nadu, widely seen as a dig at Jayalalithaa’s government.

The fallout was swift R.M. Veerappan, Baasha’s producer and a minister, was removed from his post for not opposing Rajinikanth’s speech.

Later Rajini backed the DMK-TMC alliance which defeated Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK in the elections. Years afterward, Rajinikanth expressed regret, saying his remarks caused pain and trouble for Veerappan.

మహేష్, రామ్ చరణ్ లకి అందుకే అంతమంది ఫ్యాన్స్ ఉన్నారు అనిపించింది – ప్రదీప్#MaheshBabu #RamCharan #PradeepMachiraju #AkkadaAmmayiIkkadaAbbayi pic.twitter.com/Uohi3JJsqv

— Filmy Focus (@FilmyFocus) April 9, 2025