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Vishnu Vishal says it's ‘very painful’ to see Rajinikanth clarifying he's not jealous of Vijay: ‘We are in such an era’

While promoting Gatta Kusthi 2, Vishnu Vishal spoke about how Rajinikanth was forced to clarify he's happy for Vijay after social media backlash.

Updated on: Jun 26, 2026, 16:49:06 IST
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Actor Vishnu Vishal spoke in an interview about how superstar Rajinikanth was forced to clarify his stance after Vijay won the Tamil Nadu elections. While addressing a comment directed at him for ‘crying’ in interviews, the actor said that even Rajinikanth isn’t immune to backlash on social media today. (Also Read: ‘Whenever I speak, it becomes a problem’: Rajinikanth hits back at trolls after controversy around his comments on Vijay)

Vishnu Vishal on Rajinikanth and Vijay

Vishnu Vishal recently spoke about how Rajinikanth had to clarify his stance on Vijay winning the elections.
Vishnu Vishal recently spoke about how Rajinikanth had to clarify his stance on Vijay winning the elections.

During an interview with the YouTube channel Rednool for promoting his upcoming film Gatta Kusthi 2, Vishal was read a tweet bashing him that read: “Of late, Vishnu comes for movie promotions. Cries in every interview. Claims he’s still unrecognised. Praises his movies. Then the movie releases. Gets bashed by everyone. Repeat.”

The actor defended himself, stating that he has had only two setbacks recently with Lal Salaam (2024) and Aaryan (2025). He said the former film with Rajinikanth wasn’t what he had signed up for, while the latter was criticised only for its climax. He also pointed out that he was a producer on his brother Rudra’s film, Oho Enthan Baby.

He then slammed the person who tweeted about him and said, “The person who made that tweet doesn’t know what my journey is. He has never lived a single day in my life. I didn’t live his life either. I can’t judge him, and he can’t judge me. They like me on-screen; I am an actor. My life is open; they have made me; they have the right to bash me also. I am okay with that. But I don't like this kind of talk. Such comments hurt me.”

The Rajinikanth-Vijay saga

After Vijay won the Tamil Nadu elections, Rajinikanth was accused of not being happy for the actor-politician and of supporting DMK. The actor held a press meet to clarify he wasn’t jealous of Vijay. “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,” he said.

At the title launch of his upcoming film, Dharman, with Ashwath Marimuthu and Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth addressed the trolling that followed his statement as well. “The moment someone says they are calling me to speak, I feel hesitant. Because whenever I speak, it becomes a problem, either for you or for me.” He also pointed out that staying silent doesn’t help either, adding, “If I stay quiet, they will make fun of me saying, why isn’t he speaking? Has he kept a kozhukattai (a sweet delicacy) in his mouth?” he said.

 
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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