- Rajinikanth personally wished Vijay on his 52nd birthday
- He addressed the media after Dharman's title launch in Chennai
- Rajinikanth denied any rift with Vijay
A simple birthday greeting from Rajinikanth became the subject of intense online discussion after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor Vijay turned 52 on June 22. While several celebrities and political leaders shared public messages for Vijay, fans noticed the superstar's silence on social media and began speculating about the reason behind it.
Rajinikanth has now finally responded to the chatter.
The veteran actor attended the title launch event of his upcoming film Dharman in Chennai on Wednesday. Following the unveiling of the film's title, Rajinikanth briefly interacted with the media and answered questions from reporters.
Reporter: Why you didn't wish @CMOTamilnadu for his birthday ❓
— AmuthaBharathi (@CinemaWithAB) June 24, 2026
Superstar #Rajinikanth: I already wished him through the call♥️ pic.twitter.com/DJxeXybi2g
As he was leaving the venue, people asked him why he had not publicly wished Vijay on his birthday.
Addressing the speculation, Rajinikanth revealed that he had reached out to Vijay personally and therefore did not post a message online.
"I already wished him through the call," he said.
This is not the first time Rajinikanth has had to address rumours surrounding his equation with Vijay. In May, he held a press conference at his Poes Garden residence after his silence following the Tamil Nadu election results sparked several theories online.
He said, "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."
Rajinikanth was last seen in the 2025 release Coolie. The film also stars Nagarjuna Akkineni, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Rachita Ram, with Aamir Khan and Pooja Hegde in special appearances.
ALSO READ: Trisha Shares Loved-Up Birthday Post For Vijay: 'To The Person Who Makes It All Worth It'
