Superstar Rajnikant on Thursday came out in support of actor Ajith who has caused a stir in the Tamil film industry by his remarks that actors were being forced to take a stand on sensitive political issues even as the two met Chief Minister M Karunanidhi separately.
Ajith had taken the Tamil film industry by surprise when he made the candid remarks in the presence of Mr. Karunanidhi and almost the entire Kollywood at a function here on February 6.
He had rued politics creeping into Tamil cinema, prompting Mr. Karunanidhi himself to assuage his feelings saying Tamil cinema was a family and they should all be united.
Ajith had also complained that actors were threatened with non-cooperation for their future projects if they declined to participate in certain protests, apparently referring to the issues ranging from Cauvery water sharing dispute with Karnataka and plight of Sri Lankan Tamils.
‘Not easy for Ajith’
Rajnikant, who gave a standing ovation to Ajith at the function, told reporters after meeting Mr. Karunanidhi on Thursday it was not easy on part of Ajith to say something like that in the presence of the chief minister and such a big crowd.
“I appreciate his boldness,” Rajnikant, himself known for his outspokenness, said after emerging out of his meeting with Mr. Karunanidhi which he said was to thank him for attending his daughter Soundarya’s betrothal last evening.
Later, Ajith called on Mr. Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence and described the meeting as a “courtesy call“.
The soft spoken hero, who had appeared opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Hindi film “Asoka”, said he was “under no pressure” after he had made those remarks.
He thanked Rajnikant for his support and ‘appreciated’ it.
Asked whether he would stand by the comments made at the function, which was also attended by Hindi film icon Amitabh Bachchan among others, Ajith offered no comments.
