Kamal Haasan kept emotional secret from dying friend; it bound him to Rajinikanth forever - The Indian Express

After passing through the hands of several directors, the highly anticipated Thalaivar 173 has finally taken shape and received an official title. Headlined by “Superstar” Rajinikanth and bankrolled by legendary actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, the movie has been named Dharman, with Ashwath Marimuthu, best known for Oh My Kadavule (2020) and Dragon (2025), at the helm.

Although it isn’t clear whether Kamal will make an appearance in Dharman, even in a cameo role, expectations are sky-high since this is the first time his iconic production and distribution company, Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI), is bankrolling a Rajinikanth film. With director Nelson Dilipkumar’s KH x RK Reunion, marking the two icons’ first collaboration in 47 years, also in the pipeline, Dharman is seen by many as an indirect precursor to it.

Having worked together in several movies, Rajinikanth and Kamal’s friendship goes back over half a century. In fact, Rajinikanth made his film debut playing a key role in the Kamal Haasan-led Apoorva Raagangal (1975), helmed by K Balachander. However, when Rajinikanth was making his debut, Kamal was already a star, having made an impact in the Tamil and Malayalam industries.

Regardless, they both formed a close bond quickly. In an interview once, Kamal recalled meeting Rajinikanth for the first time and revealed how he grew affectionate towards him so quickly. However, it was a bittersweet anecdote, as it pertained to Kamal’s close friend, Govindarajan, whom he lost to cancer.

“I had a very close friend named Govindarajan, who is no more now. We used to call him ‘Govinda Haasan’ because he was like a brother to me — he was family. He was also a lawyer like my brother. So, they got along like a house on fire. One day, when I was shooting, people told me he was unwell. We used to meet almost every day. Soon, they pronounced that he had malignant cancer. I was too young then and didn’t know how to take it,” he shared during a 2022 interview with India Today.

Heartbroken over Govindarajan’s condition, Kamal said that was when the reality of death dawned on him. “I hadn’t understood that death is part of life. I was traumatised. At that time, I was working on a film (Apoorva Raagangal) with K Balachander, in which I was the lead. There was a cameo performance in the film for which they had chosen a person named Shivaji Rao (Rajinikanth’s birth name) from the Chennai Film Institute, but from Bengaluru. That’s all I knew about him. I’ve said hello to him a few times,” he shared.

One day, while the treatment was going on, Govindarajan expressed his desire to watch my film shoot, hearing which Kamal invited him to the sets of Apoorva Raagangal, where he met Rajinikanth. “His (Rajinikanth’s) first shot was happening on a day, and that day, my friend insisted on coming to the sets. He was unwell, but you have these rare remissions that you want to step out,” the actor noted.

Interestingly, Kamal shared, Rajinikanth’s eventual getup in the movie was inspired by Govindarajan’s look. “I asked him to come. He had a French beard at that time. Since my makeup artist is from my company, he made Rajinikanth’s beard just like his after our conversations. Rajinikanth also had straight hair. He played the role of a man dying of cancer. He (Govindarajan) wanted to know, and asked, ‘I like that guy, he’s got style. What’s the role he’s playing?’ I couldn’t tell him,” he added.

However, Kamal slowly began seeing Govindarajan in Rajinikanth and poured the love he had for his dear friend onto his colleague. “Somehow, all the emotions turned to affection for Rajini. I keep telling him that. So, I think I superimposed my friend’s image onto him. And it stuck. We’ve been together since then. We agree to disagree, but still, we’re friends,” he shared.

After Apoorva Raagangal, they appeared together in films such as Avargal, Moondru Mudichu, Pathinaru Vayathinile, and Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum. Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan also shared the screen in Thillu Mullu, where the latter had a cameo.

Disclaimer: This article contains reflective storytelling and personal reflections on illness and the loss of a loved one. The insights shared are for informational and narrative purposes and do not constitute professional or medical advice.