Veteran actor Rajinikanth has revealed that he once lost an entire night’s sleep over former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s decision to remove senior minister R.M. Veerappan from his position—a decision the actor believes was influenced by his own actions.
Rajinikanth made the remarks in a documentary released by Sathya Movies to mark the first death anniversary of R.M. Veerappan, the party leader, film producer, and founder of Sathya Movies. The documentary features tributes from prominent figures, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Rajinikanth himself.
Recalling the incident, Rajinikanth said Veerappan was among the few who had shown him unwavering support. During the 100-day celebration of Baashha, the actor said he had spoken against the rise of “bomb culture” in society—remarks made in the presence of Minister Veerappan, who was also the producer of the film.
“At the time, I didn’t realize it was inappropriate to speak that way in front of a Cabinet Minister,” Rajinikanth admitted. “Jayalalithaa, who was then Chief Minister, was reportedly upset that Veerappan didn’t stop me and subsequently removed him from his ministerial post. I couldn’t sleep that night, feeling responsible for what had happened.”
The actor said he called Veerappan the next morning to offer a personal apology. “He dismissed my concerns, saying ‘It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.’ When I told him I’d like to speak directly to Jayalalithaa, he politely declined, explaining that she never reversed her decisions and he didn’t want my image to suffer.”
Rajinikanth added that while there were multiple factors behind his eventual criticism of Jayalalithaa, this incident was one of the primary reasons.
