The story behind the infamous 1995 Rajinikanth RMV Speech has finally been shared by the Superstar himself. For nearly 30 years, there’s been talk about his fiery speech at the Baashha success meet and the political storm it kicked up.
The details come from a preview clip of a new documentary called The Kingmaker, focused on RMV’s life. Released by Sathya Movies on April 9th, marking RMV’s first death anniversary, the clip has understandably gone viral.
So, what’s the story Rajinikanth shared?
Picture this: It’s the 100th-day celebration for Baashha. RMV, the film’s producer, is on stage. He’s also a minister in the ruling AIADMK government, led by then-Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. Rajinikanth gets up to speak and talks about the “bomb culture” prevalent in Tamil Nadu at the time – a politically charged statement given the context.
“I should not have spoken like that,” Rajinikanth admits in the documentary preview, reflecting with hindsight. “I did not have clarity then.”
The fallout was immediate and dramatic. Rajinikanth recounts hearing later that same night that Jayalalithaa, upon learning about his speech, questioned RMV about how he allowed Rajinikanth to criticise the government on stage and promptly dismissed him from his ministerial post.
Hearing this, Rajinikanth was devastated. “I couldn’t sleep all night,” he shared, clearly still emotional about the memory. He felt incredibly guilty, believing his words had cost RMV his position. “I called them at night in vain. In the morning when he answered, I said ‘I’m extremely sorry sir!'”
But RMV’s reaction? Pure class, according to Rajinikanth. He apparently brushed off the apology, telling the Superstar “not to take it to my heart and leave it.” Rajinikanth even offered to try and smooth things over with the CM. RMV immediately advised against it, saying, “‘No! She will not overturn a decision so quickly, and moreover please don’t spoil your self-respect.'” Rajinikanth adds, “He acted like nothing happened at all. That was his greatness.”
Crucially, Rajinikanth reveals that while he had other issues with the Jayalalithaa government at the time, this specific incident – seeing RMV sacked seemingly because of his speech – became the “main reason” for the strong political stance he took against her subsequently.
He fondly remembers RMV as one of the few people he deeply respected, alongside figures like his mentor K. Balachander and Cho Ramaswamy, praising his humility, wisdom, and calm strength under pressure – truly a “Kingmaker.”
The full documentary, The Kingmaker, promises more insights from figures like Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Kamal Haasan, offering a deeper look into the life of a man who navigated the complex intersection of Tamil cinema and politics for decades. But this preview alone gives a fascinating, personal glimpse into a pivotal moment shaped by a Superstar’s speech, a producer’s grace, and the swift hand of political power.