A simple birthday greeting has sparked a huge debate on social media about superstar Rajinikanth and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay. Vijay is 52 years old today (22 June) and many celebrities, politicians and public figures have posted their wishes on Facebook. However, many fans noticed Rajinikanth did not post a public birthday message for Vijay, and there was much speculation on social media.

Rajinikanth Finally Responds

The veteran actor addressed the issue Wednesday at the title launch event of his new film'Dharman' in Chennai.

After announcing the movie’s title, Rajinikanth spoke to reporters for a few minutes before leaving the venue. When asked why he had not publicly wished Vijay on his birthday, the actor put an end to the rumours with a simple explanation.

Rajinikanth said: “I already wished him through a phone call,” he said, saying he had personally reached out to Vijay instead of posting a message online. He quickly shut down speculation about what is going on with his team and social media.

Not the First Time Rajinikanth Has Addressed Rumours

This is not the first time Rajinikanth has had to clarify speculation about his relationship with Vijay.

After the Tamil Nadu elections earlier this year, there were a number of theories on the Internet as Rajinikanth did not comment immediately on Vijay's victory. The actor later dismissed these rumours at a press conference at his Poes Garden home.

Rajinikanth strongly denied any suggestion that there was any rivalry or jealousy between the two stars. He said he congratulated Vijay immediately after his election victory and felt surprised at the claims that were being made online.

“Why would I be jealous of Vijay? There is a 25-year generation gap between us. It would not look good if we competed,” Rajinikanth said, and he had even made jokes that he might only be jealous if Kamal Haasan became Chief Minister.

Fans Continue to Follow Their Bond

Rajinikanth and Vijay already have huge fan bases and small interactions between them are frequently a major topic for movie lovers and political observers alike.

Rajinikanth’s clarification indicates even more how closely fans track the views of two of Tamil Nadu’s most powerful public figures. While social media users searched for hidden meanings behind a missing birthday post, the reality turned out to be much simpler—a personal phone call between two stars.

Busy Times Ahead for Rajinikanth

Rajinikanth is preparing to start work on *Dharman*, which has been officially announced on Wednesday.

The superstar was last seen in the big movie *Coolie* with an ensemble cast of Nagarjuna Akkineni, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj and Rachita Ram and special appearances by Aamir Khan and Pooja Hegde.

Rajinikanth is the busiest and the most talked about in the Indian movie industry, both on and off the screen, with *Dharman* as well as a lot of his upcoming projects and more in the pipeline.