Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth are synonymous with Tamil cinema. Beyond their iconic on-screen personas, the duo shares a remarkable friendship that has stood the test of time. An old video of Kamal Haasan is doing the rounds on social media where the superstar shared the touching story of how their bond was forged amidst personal tragedy.
In the interview with India Today, Kamal Haasan Haasan recounted a difficult period in his life when he was on the brink of losing a close friend, Govindarajan, to cancer. Kamal explained that Rajinikanth’s resemblance to his friend Govindarajan sparked an immediate bond between them.
Kamal Haasan's close friend Govindarajan diagnosed with cancer
"I had a very close friend named Govindarajan, who is no longer with us. We called him Govinda Haasan because he was like a brother to me – he was family. He was also a lawyer like my brother, and they got along famously. One day, while I was shooting, I was informed that he was unwell. We used to meet almost every day, and soon, it was revealed he had malignant cancer. I was too young to comprehend it fully,” Kamal recalled.
Kamal's first meeting with Rajinikanth
Kamal continued, "I was traumatised by the news. Around that time, I was working on a film with K Balachander, where I played the lead role. Rajinikanth, then known as Shivaji Rao, was cast for a cameo. I knew little about him, except that he was from the Chennai film institute but originally from Bengaluru. We had exchanged pleasantries a few times."
He then spoke about the significant day when Rajinikanth’s first shot was scheduled. "My friend, despite being unwell, insisted on visiting the set. He had a rare remission and wanted to step out. I invited him to come along," Kamal said.
Rajinikanth resembled Kamal Haasan's friend
"Rajinikanth sported a French beard at the time. My makeup artist, part of my company, styled Rajinikanth’s beard similarly after our conversation. Rajinikanth also had straight hair. Interestingly, his role involved a character dying of cancer, which intrigued Govindarajan. He commented, ‘I like that guy, he's got style. What's the role he's playing?’ and I couldn’t reveal it to him."
How Kamal feels for Rajinikanth
Kamal Haasan shared how his feelings for his friend transformed into affection for Rajinikanth. "All the emotions I felt for my friend transferred to Rajini. I often tell him that. I think I superimposed my friend’s image onto him, and it stuck. We've been inseparable since. We agree to disagree, but our friendship remains strong."
Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth first shared the screen in K Balachander's Apoorva Ragangal in 1975. They have worked together in 21 films together across various languages.