Rajini's woe: 'It becomes a problem if I open my mouth or keep it shut'

The moment he was invited to speak, Rajinikanth said he felt hesitant. That hesitation, he explained at the Chennai launch on Wednesday (June 24), was earned through years of being misread.

"If I speak, it becomes a problem — not a problem for me, but a problem for others," he said in Tamil. The no-win situation he described was almost comic in its precision, "Whatever I speak is being misinterpreted. If I speak, some say I should have spoken a few years ago. If I remain quiet, people ask what Rajini's mouth is stuffed with."

It took him a long time, he said, to arrive at a simple truth, that people who dislike you will find a reason regardless of what you do, and those who like you will not stand by you regardless, on the other hand.

Speculation on political entry

Rajini made his remarks amid speculation over his relations with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. While the former contemplated a political entry for years but never took the plunge, the latter landed the CM seat in his electoral debut.

This triggered criticism that Rajini should also have entered politics. His fans association Rajini Makkal Mandram, launched in 2018 as a prelude to a political entry, was later converted into the Rajinikanth Rasigar Narpani Mandram, a welfare body for his fans. However, he did not take things beyond this.

Vijay, on the other hand, launched welfare organisation that helped him transition to politics seamlessly.

Three directors, one film

Turning to the film itself, Rajinikanth gave a candid account of how Dharman came to be. Ashwath Marimuthu, he made clear, is the fourth director to have been associated with the project.

"Discussions with Ravikumar didn't work well. Sundar C had other commitments while Cibi's story was about nuclear power and was a bit sensitive, is what we felt," he said. Eventually, after three false starts, the project found its footing with Ashwath at the helm.

Also Read: Fact check: No, Latha Rajinikanth didn't start Makkal Medai after Annamalai

Rajinikanth was equally candid about his dynamic with producer Kamal Haasan. Kamal had made clear he would not interfere and wanted Rajinikanth to take full creative charge — something the superstar flatly refused.

"I refused and said only after your approval the film will take off," he said. He also drew a firm line on how the director was to be treated: "This is not to scare you but to assure you that our entire team will back you in bringing out a good film," he told Ashwath at the event. The message was plain — this was a group effort, and the weight of it would not fall on one person's shoulders.

Welcoming Simran back

Rajinikanth spoke warmly about Simran joining the cast. Though the two had worked together in Petta, he acknowledged the limitations of that collaboration.

"Though we did Petta, there were not a lot of co-starring scenes. In Dharman she will be seen throughout the film and has a bigger role to play," he said.

Also Read: When Vijay took the route that Rajinikanth feared to tread

Rajinikanth closed his speech saying the film had a difficult subject but that a good message had been woven through it, the crew was excellent, and he had full faith it would land well with audiences. The shoot, he confirmed, was beginning the very next morning.