Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor C. Joseph Vijay celebrated his 52nd birthday on June 22, with fans, celebrities, and political leaders flooding social media with wishes. Amid the celebrations, however, one question dominated online chatter: why hadn’t superstar Rajinikanth wished Vijay publicly? The veteran star has now addressed the buzz and revealed the reason behind it.
Rajinikanth on buzz over skipping Vijay’s birthday wish
On Wednesday, Rajinikanth attended the launch event of his upcoming film in Chennai. During the event, the makers unveiled the film’s title, Dharman, following which the superstar interacted with the media and addressed several questions from the press.
As Rajinikanth was leaving the venue, reporters asked the superstar why he had not publicly wished Vijay on his birthday, a question that had been fuelling speculation on social media since the actor-politician’s special day.
Responding to the question, Rajinikanth put the speculation to rest, revealing that he had personally called Vijay to wish him on his birthday instead of posting a public message on social media.
“I already wished him through the call,” he said. After addressing the question, Rajinikanth folded his hands in gratitude, acknowledged those gathered at the venue, and drove away.
Rajinikanth puts rumours to rest
Back in May, Rajinikanth held a press conference at his home in Poes Garden. It came after his perceived silence following the declaration of the Tamil Nadu election results, which saw Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and C Joseph Vijay win. Some thought that he was unhappy with the results, while others claimed he was trying to merge parties. The film star clarified it all.
“Rumours started spreading that I said Vijay shouldn’t become CM or that I was trying to merge two parties. Some are saying that I didn’t wish him at the airport when I already wished him on X,” he said.
He added, “Rajini is not a cheap or low-standard person to speak unnecessarily about anything else. I was extremely shocked when I heard that Vijay had become the Chief Minister. As soon as the Chief Minister won, I congratulated him. I’m not even in politics, so why would I be jealous of Vijay? Maybe if Kamal (Haasan) becomes the CM, I might get jealous. (smiles) There is a 25-year generation gap between Vijay and me. It won’t look good if we compete.”
Rajinikanth also praised Vijay, stating, “At the age of 52, he has achieved more than MGR and NTR. He faced and won against the BJP at the Centre and two parties here. It was a surprise-filled happiness for me. No Jealousy. A lot of expectations for Vijay and my best wishes to him.”