The simultaneous release of Rajinikanth’s “Jailer” and Thalapathy Vijay’s “Leo” last year brought renewed attention to the long-standing box office rivalry between the two actors. A social media backlash from Vijay’s supporters, who saw Rajinikanth’s narrative about an eagle and crow at the “Jailer” audio premiere in 2023 as a subtle jab at the “Master” star, caused tensions to rise.
At the ‘Lal Salaam’ event, Rajinikanth reportedly addressed the subsequent fan disputes, according to recent reports from India Today. He was disappointed that his story had been misunderstood and emphasized that it was never intended as a strike at Vijay. Recalling their early exchanges while filming “Dharmathin Thalaivan” when Vijay was 13, Rajinikanth mused about watching Vijay grow up. He advised Vijay to put his studies first before pursuing acting, which ultimately helped Vijay grow into the prosperous celebrity he is today.
Vijay’s talent and rigorous work ethic were further emphasized by Rajinikanth, who expressed regret at what he saw as their imagined rivalry. Although Rajinikanth emphasized the value of respect for one another and asked fans not to create unnecessary comparisons, both stars have openly acknowledged one another as competitors.
At the ‘Jailer’ event, Rajinikanth said, “In birds, crow disturbs everyone,” using an eagle and crow metaphor. Eagle never bothers anybody. An eagle that is disturbed by a crow simply moves on to the next step without taking any action.”
In the near future, Rajinikanth will appear in his daughter Aishwarya Rai’s film “Lal Salaam,” which is slated for release on February 9. He will also be seen in “Vettaiyan” by TJ Gnanavel and “Thalaivar 171” by Lokesh Kanagaraj.
While everything is going on, Vijay is shooting Venkat Prabhu’s “GOAT,” which promises to be another amazing performance from the well-known actor.
