Kamal Haasan rules out ties with Rajinikanth

Chennai: Asserting that their ideologies are poles apart, actor-activist Kamal Haasan on Sunday ruled out an alliance with his long-time co-star Rajinikanth in their new avatar in the rough and tumble of politics as long as the latter’s “hue” remains saffron, to which he is dead opposed.

Delivering his keynote address and later participating in an interactive session moderated by journalist Barkha Dutt at the India Conference in the prestigious Harvard University in the US, Kamal was in his usual candid self when he was categorical that he would “rather stand out” and not “somehow sit in the chair” when asked whether he would align with Rajinikanth if he fails to get a majority.  

Kamal also sent out a political statement by appearing before the audience in Cambridge, where the temperature was a freezing 7°C, in the traditional dhoti and began his speech in his mother tongue by welcoming everyone with Vanakkam.

Having complained in his weekly column, which appeared in Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan a couple of days back, that he and Rajini were always bombarded with questions on whether they would come together in politics, Kamal took pains to explain how the ideologies followed by them (Kamal and Rajini) had a sea of difference and that coming together was not possible unless the “hue” changes. Political observers here were not surprised by Kamal’s statement as they said it was a known fact that the two actors cannot come together on one platform for many reasons —  the main reason being their ideological differences. And now, they said, Kamal has clarified his stand, leaving no doubts.

The actor was categorical that if his friend Rajinikanth wants an alliance, then he should either change the “hue” or should “convince his rational mind” that his statement had a different interpretation.

The actor said he will lean neither to the left nor to the right and that is precisely why he has named his website ‘maiam’ (centre).