Rajinikanth turns 74: A deep dive into Thalaivar¡¯s intense professional rivalry with Kamal Haasan

Rajinikanth, one of Indian cinema¡¯s biggest icons, is set to turn 74 on December 12. The mass hero has been an inseparable part of the industry for nearly five decades. During his long and illustrious career, ¡®Superstar¡¯ has mesmerised the masses with his charismatic screen presence and memorable dialogues. Interestingly, a section of the audience has often drawn parallels between the mass hero and Kamal Haasan.

These comparisons stem from the fact that both these legends started their careers around the same time. Moreover, they learned the tricks of the trade from K Balachander. With that, here is a closer look at Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan¡¯s professional rivalry.

Rajinikanth vs Kamal Haasan: Similar beginnings and a great mentor

Rajinikanth¡¯s career overlapped with that of Kamal Haasan right from the word go. ¡®Thalaivar¡¯ made his big screen debut with a negative role in Apoorva Raagangal (1975), which was directed by K Balachander and featured Kamal in the lead.

Thereafter, the two went on to team up for films such as Moondru Mudichu, Avargal, and 16 Vayathinile. In most cases, both stars held their own against each other and added a new layer to the narrative with their respective performances. Rajinikanth usually played a sly character with nefarious intentions. Kamal, on the other hand, played the role of a sincere friend/lover. In many ways, Rajini's rustic mannerisms complemented KH¡¯s innocent reel persona.

Going their separate ways

The 80s saw the rivalry continue as Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan consolidated their standing in the industry. Their paths, however, were quite different. Rajinikanth chose to concentrate on action dramas such as Thee and Billa, which helped him emerge as a mass hero. Meanwhile, Kamal opted to explore the ¡®actor¡¯ within through films such as Moondram Pirai and Punnagai Mannan.

The difference in their choices also led to a difference in their approach towards the craft. Rajinikanth relied on his swag and punch dialogues to bring his characters to life. Kamal, on the other hand, usually internalised them. As a result, fans started considering Rajini to be the ¡®king of the masses¡¯. Kamal, on the other hand, was described as ¡®an excellent actor¡¯

The rivalry continues

Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan added a new layer to their rivalry in 1992 when Thevar Magan released on the same day as Pandian. Both films opened strong but Kamal¡¯s film proved to be a bigger hit in the long run. Pandian, on the other hand, ended up being an average grosser. Barring this setback, the 90s proved to be quite memorable for Rajinikanth. He delivered three blockbusters in quick succession, which gave him an edge over the competition. Baashha, which featured him as a don, is widely regarded as the greatest mass film ever. Muthu, on the other hand, made Rajini a brand in Japan. Similarly, Padayappa thrilled the audience with its punch dialogues.

Kamal Haasan too scored a big hit in the 90s with Indian (1996). However, the international acclaim received by Muthu helped Rajini stay slightly ahead of his friend during this decade.

The 2000s saw the scales tilting towards Rajinikanth. The star delivered a mammoth blockbuster with Chandramukhi (2005). The film also did well in Germany and opened up a new market for Tamil films. Similarly, Sivaji and Enthiran saw Rajini mania run wild again. The latter in particular exceeded all expectations to gross over Rs 100 crore at the box office.

Kamal, on the other hand, suffered a blow when Hey Ram (2000) didn¡¯t do too well at the box office despite receiving tremendous critical acclaim. Similarly, Mumbai Xpress and Vasool Raja MBBS didn¡¯t attain a cult following despite emerging as commercial successes.

Brand Rajinikanth shines

Rajinikanth decisively gained the upper hand over Kamal Haasan after 2010s despite facing a few setbacks. ¡®Superstar¡¯ tasted success with 2.0, which emerged as the highest-grossing Tamil film worldwide with a total collection of Rs 800 crore. Similarly, Petta and Jailer set the cash registers ringing. Kamal, on the other hand, had mixed fortunes as most of his films, barring Papanasam and Vikram, did not live up to expectations The rivalry is set to continue in 2025 as Rajinikanth will be seen in Coolie. The film is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, who previously directed KH in Vikram. It remains to be seen whether Coolie is able to match the standards set by the 2022 blockbuster.

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