(This article is authored by Alar)

The two titans of Tamil cinema, Rajinikanth and Vijay, are not only ruling the box office, but also making waves in the political arena.  Actor Vijay recently announced his entry into politics, launching his own party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

Rajinikanth, who is currently shooting for ‘Vettaiyan’, directed by TJ Gnanavel, was spotted at the airport on February 6. He interacted briefly with the media and congratulated Vijay on his political debut. He said, “Congratulations,” twice and wished him well for his political journey. Rajinikanth, who went to Andhra Pradesh for shooting, has now returned to Chennai after completing the shoot where he met the reporters.

Meanwhile Vijay is busy with his 68th film, ‘GOAT’, directed by Venkat Prabhu which is being shot in Puducherry. The next film, Thlapathy 69  is said to be his last before he becomes a full-time politician. Vijay had announced his party, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam, on February 2 and revealed that his party will contest in the 2026 elections. He was last seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Leo’, which was a blockbuster hit.

Both Rajinikanth and Vijay have a huge fan following and are considered as the icons of Tamil cinema. However, they have also clarified that they have no rivalry or competition between them, either in films or in politics. Rajinikanth had expressed his disappointment over the social media rumours that pitted him against Vijay.

He had said, "He’s at the top because of his discipline, hard work and talent. He is going to politics next. It feels sad to hear that there’s competition between us. Vijay had said that he is his competition and I have also stated the same. It’s disrespectful to say that we are each other’s competition. I’d request our fans not to compare.”

@rajinikanth about @actorvijay political party #Rajinikanth #Vijay #TamilagaVettriKazhagam pic.twitter.com/XEP6kLWXU7

— suzen (@Suzenbabu) February 6, 2024