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Vijay and Ajith Kumar are happy for each other's success despite public perception of their rivalry, says Shalini

At an awards show, Shalini Ajith Kumar spoke of her husband's equation with Vijay and busted rumours of long-standing rivalry between both.

Updated on: Feb 20, 2026, 15:17:19 IST
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For a long time, there has been a public perception of a rivalry between Vijay and Ajith Kumar. Given that the duo is among the top stars of Kollywood, their fans and most people would assume there is a rivalry between them. However, when asked about them at an awards show, Shalini Ajith Kumar made it clear that the two share a good relationship despite their films competing at the box office.

Shalini on Ajith Kumar and Vijay

Ajith Kumar and Vijay have taken two of the top spots in Kollywood for years now.
Ajith Kumar and Vijay have taken two of the top spots in Kollywood for years now.

At the JFW Movie Awards in Chennai, Shalini was asked to speak about Ajith and Vijay and their relationship. Shalini responded, “It’s a good relationship; they both are very happy for each other’s success and everything. It’s beautiful.” Fans were thrilled to hear this, with one of them commenting, “Both are good souls.” Another wrote, “Happy to see her after long time.” But some of Ajith’s fans weren’t convinced, leaving comments like, “But his (Vijay’s) fans exist, no?” hinting their rivalry with them and “You are giving award to everyone but you are asking everyone about Thalapathy. It's not fair. Give some respect to their hard work.”

When Ajith wanted GOAT to be a fitting farewell to Vijay

Ajith Kumar busted rumours of rivalry with Vijay

Last year, when Ajith was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, there were rumours that Vijay hadn’t congratulated him. However, his team released a statement saying: “These claims are entirely baseless. Vijay was among the first to congratulate Ajith Sir on his racing victory. Similarly, when the Padma Bhushan award was announced, Vijay Sir also congratulated him. Both share a genuine and heartfelt friendship. So, there is no truth to the claim that Vijay Sir didn't extend his wishes.”

In November 2025, in an audio interview with Rangaraj Pandey, Ajith directly addressed reports of rivalry and said, “Some are making things up and creating a misconception between Vijay and me, resulting in fans clashing with each other. It's better if these miscreants remain quiet ... I have always wished well for Vijay.”

Ajith has yet to announce his upcoming film after venturing into racing last year. Vijay will contest in the Tamil Nadu elections with his TVK party. His film Jana Nayagan has been postponed due to a censor delay.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeshita Nyayapati

Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good film that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that. Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From film announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all. A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories.

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