Rajinikanth Not Joining Politics Or the BJP: Shatrughan Sinha

Shatrughan Sinha tells us that Rajinikanth will not join politics without consulting him.

There has been a lot of speculation as to whether Rajinikanth will join politics. (Photo: Yogen Shah)

Here is  the end of all speculation on Rajinikanth’s plans vis-à-vis politics. Rajinikanth’s close friend and BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha absolutely rules out any possibility of  the Tamil superstar getting into active  politics.

“As far as I know, and I should know because I am his political ally, my dear friend Rajinikanth has no plans of getting into active politics. I know  he is being pressurised from many quarters to do so. But he should not, must not give in,” says Mr Sinha who goes back a  long way with Rajinikanth.

In  fact the  iconic Tamil star has acknowledged Shatrughan Sinha as his “guru” and admitted that he often copied  the ‘Shotgun’ style of mannered acting .

Poster of KC Bokadia’s Asli Naqli starring Shatrughan Sinha and Rajinikanth. 

Laughs Shatrughan Sinha, “Yes, he has always been very generous in his appreciation of me. He had called me his ‘guru’. And when we worked together in K C Bokadia’s Asli Naqli in 1986, he jokingly told everyone he was the naqli Shatrughan Sinha. That’s the greatness of this humble man. I am afraid he would be a complete misfit in politics.”

Shatrughan Sinha admits Rajinikanth has  come “this close” to  joining politics.

“Several political parties have wooed him in the past. They continue to do so. I know for a fact that he has been seriously tempted on some occasions . But withdrawn from taking the actual plunge  at  the last minute.”

Shatrughan Sinha says not to read too much into Rajinikanth’s proposed meeting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Modiji , whom I call our real action hero, likes to  meet the reel action heroes whether it’s Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar or Rajinikanth. I  don’t think any of these superstars are actually taking the plunge (into politics). They are too busy with their acting career to even think of branching into anything else. And if you are THE Rajinikanth  why would you want to get into politics to make the junta listen to you? He just has to express his  will and his fans will obey. He doesn’t need politics, though politics may need him.”

Over the years Shatrughan Sinha and Rajinikanth have remained close friends. “Every time I visit Chennai I try to meet him. And whenever he is in Mumbai, he comes home. If Rajinikanth has any interest in joining politics he would tell me first. I introduced him to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and  Yashwant Sinha when he expressed a desire to meet them. And when Rajini wanted to meet Bal Thackeray, I  arranged the meeting. Whatever his political inclinations, I am  a part of them. He won’t take the plunge without consulting me.”