Jailer 2 details: All about that superstar's massy cameo, meta references and a homage 40 years after Bhagwaan Dada

Nelson Dilipkumar's Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer 2 was released in theatres on Thursday. It featured a now-leaked cameo by a Bollywood star.

Spoilers for Jailer 2 ahead:

This Bollywood star played a cameo in Rajinikanth's Jailer 2.

Everyone who just saw the silhouette of Hrithik Roshan in the trailer of Nelson Dilipkumar’s Jailer 2 trailer for a brief 2 seconds and guessed it was him must be patting themselves on their back. Sure, there were rumours circulating about his cameo in the Rajinikanth film for a while now, but there was a time when even Shah Rukh Khan and Nandamuri Balakrishna’s names did the rounds. As I write this, it’s no surprise that Hrithik does, in fact, get a cameo in Jailer 2 thanks to all the clips circulating on X (formerly Twitter). Know all about the references and homages in his few minutes on screen. *Spoilers ahead*

Hrithik Roshan’s cameo in Jailer 2 touches on their bond

There’s a point in Jailer 2 when Tiger Muthuvel Pandian (Rajinikanth) is almost painted into a corner, and he requires the help of more than his steadfast friends, Narasimha (Shiva Rajkumar), Mathew (Mohanlal) and Kamdev (Jackie Shroff). When Kamdev warns Muthu that he needs to be careful because Bodhi Kalpak (SJ Suryah) is closing in on him, he makes a phone call, and the new cameo is teased.

The duo then even get a chance to be massy together, with Hrithik paying homage to Rajinikanth’s trademark sunglasses flip as he walks next to him.

When Rajinikanth worked with a young Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik was only 12 when he shared the screen with Rajinikanth in the 1986 film Bhagwaan Dada. The film, which also starred his dad, Rakesh Roshan, saw him play a young boy named Govind, who is adopted by Rajinikanth’s titular character. Jailer 2 marked their reunion after 40 long years, with a now-older Hrithik, seemingly referencing everything Rajinikanth had done for him.

In January 2025, even before Jailer 2 went on floors, Hrithik expressed interest in working with Rajinikanth again. At the trailer launch of The Roshans, he said, “I had no idea that I was standing with the greatest legend of all time. For me, he was Rajni uncle. I used to talk to him like, yeah, no... I had my way with him.” He also added, “I will realise the burden and the weight of the moment that I am sharing screen space with him... He was so gentle and so giving. Whenever I messed up a shot, my grandfather used to cut the shot. And Rajni sir used to take the blame, saying, sorry, sorry, sorry. My fault.”

In August 2025, before Coolie clashed at the box office with his War 2, Hrithik congratulated Rajinikanth on completing 50 years in cinema, writing, “Took my first steps as an actor at your side. You were one of my first teachers, @rajinikanth sir, and continue to be an inspiration and a standard. Congratulations on completing 50 years of on-screen magic!”