Rajinikanth vs Satyaraj rivalry takes new turn

Despite the abundance of stars in the film industry, sometimes, there exists a gap spanning decades between their collaborations. They effortlessly pursue their careers, seemingly without arousing any suspicion from the audience. Such is the case with Superstar Rajinikanth and Sathyaraj, famously known to us as Baahubali's Kattappa, who haven't shared the screen in the last 38 years.

Recent Filmnagar chatter hints that director Lokesh Kanagaraj is poised to bridge this gap and bring this iconic duo together after all these years. To understand the backstory behind their prolonged separation, a journey into the past is essential.

Three decades ago, in 1994, Rajinikanth's "Veera" soared to immense success. Around the same time, a film starring Sathyaraj and Sukanya was on the brink of release, promising another hit. However, Sathyaraj harbored resentment when distributors offered him a lower remuneration for his film due to alleged discrimination. Moreover, the government denied permission for celebrating his film's success at a historical site, whereas Rajinikanth's success meet received approval. This incident led to criticism from the Tamil government towards the outsider from Karnataka.

In 2006, during the making of "Shivaji," Sathyaraj, facing financial difficulties, offered double remuneration to Rajinikanth to cut down Suman's villain role. Surprisingly, Rajinikanth accepted the offer. However, the underlying animosity remained unresolved. Media reports even claimed that Sathyaraj expressed disdain, stating that seeing Rajinikanth as Chief Minister would be the worst scenario. Consequently, despite attempts to orchestrate their collaboration, the duo remained distant. Their last on-screen appearance together dates back to Balachander's 1987 film "Manathil Urudi Vendum" (Sister Nandini in Telugu).

Nevertheless, speculations arise that they might portray amicable camaraderie in their upcoming film "Coolie."