Actor Rajinikanth reiterated that he will not be joining politics while speaking to the media on August 8 after meeting with the Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi. When asked about the recent price hike and inflation, the actor refused to comment.
Rajinikanth said that the meeting with the Governor was a courtesy call and spoke to him for nearly 30 minutes. The actor said, “The Governor has a lot of love for Tamil Nadu and for its people. He has a lot of respect for Tamil people’s honesty and hardwork. The governor told me that he is willing to work extremely hard for the welfare of Tamil Nadu.” He refused to comment when asked about the political discussion he and the governor engaged in.
Responding to a question on when the shooting for his next movie Jailer would begin, Rajinikanth said that it will begin on 15 or 22 August.
There has been tremendous speculation about Rajinikanth’s entry into politics over the past three years. Rajinikanth ruled out his political entry in July 2021 and said that he is dissolving the Rajini Makkal Mandram, the organisation of fan clubs that had been acting as a precursor to his political party. In a statement issued then, the actor said, “I had thought of starting a political party and getting involved in politics. But the timing was such that it was not possible. I have no intention of getting involved in politics in the future, so I kindly inform you that the Rajini Makkal Mandram will function as a fan charity forum for the benefit of the people.”
It was on New Year’s Eve in 2017 that Rajinikanth had announced that he will be joining politics. Since then, Rajini’s party has been in the making and soon, his fan clubs were reorganised as the Rajini Makkal Mandram considered the precursor to the party. However, there was no update till December 2020, which is when Rajinikanth announced that his party will be launched in January 2021 and that he will contest the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. But that plan was shelved.