Kamal Haasan on Rajinikanth, Thalaivar 171 at SIIMA 2023: 'There is rivalry, not betrayal'

Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan bagged the 'Best Actor' award at the SIIMA 2023 for his performance in blockbuster Vikram. While delivering his victory speech, he also briefly discussed his enduring friendship with Superstar Rajinikanth. They have managed to protect their friendship, despite being professional rivals for over four decades. 

Kamal was addressing the latest development about director Lokesh Kanagaraj directing Rajinikanth in Thalaivar 171 . He said those who wondered whether he would have an issue with Lokesh's collaboration with his rival were oblivious to the dynamics between them.

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"Everyone would be surprised and wonder what I think about Lokesh doing a movie with Rajinikanth. Because that's the level of understanding among common fans when it comes to our friendship," Kamal said, drawing a parallel to an earlier statement he made during an event about their exceptional friendship. 

"About 15 years ago, when they held an event called Kamal 50, I had said at the time that one cannot find friends like Rajini and me among the previous generation of stars in the industry. The reason I said this was not as a curse, but to inspire the next generation. We desire to see the next generation take the industry to the next level," he shared at SIIMA.

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Kamal, however, noted professionally, that they both would continue to fiercely compete against each other. But, they would never betray each other for the sake of winning. 

"My fan (Lokesh) is doing a movie with my friend (Rajinikanth). And that makes me swell with pride. But, it doesn't mean that we would intentionally lose to each other. We will continue to compete against each other with everything we have, but we will never trip the other's leg to win. It's the decision we made for ourselves at a very young age. And we are thankful to each other for that. It won't be wrong to say that friendship also contributes to growth in our respective careers," he added.