It was a prayer meeting for Chandra Haasan, but everyone was stunned by the concern that superstar Rajinikanth expressed for his friend, contemporary and great rival Kamal Haasan, younger brother of the late producer.
Rajinikanth touched upon Kamal Haasan's finances and his temper in his address. The superstar was quoted by indianexpress.com as saying, "Whatever little money Kamal has made is mainly due to his elder brother Chandra Haasan. Even current actors have made enough money, but Kamal doesn’t bother much. Don’t know how he is going to handle things without Chandra."
Describing Chandra Haasan as Kamal Haasan's pillar of strength, Rajinikanth said he worries for Kamal Haasan, who is living alone after live-in partner Gauthami left him some weeks ago.
Astonishingly, Rajinikanth also described Haasan as the angriest person he has met. "Only his two brothers, Chandra and Charu, could handle Kamal’s anger," the Kabali (2016) star said. "He is the angriest person I've ever met. Kamal considered K Balachander, Ananthu, Charuhaasan and Chandrahaasan as his lifelines. Three of them have left him. While I have worked with Charuanna in many films, I’ve met Chandrahaasan twice. But we are there for Kamal."
Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan paid rich tributes to his brother, who died on 18 March at the age of 82.
"I can’t stop talking about my brother Chandra, he considered me his own son," the veteran actor said. "Talking about his noble qualities can’t be restricted to this memorial meet, I would remember him forever. The way he handled people with great respect is incredible. He never appointed a maid to wash his clothes. He was a great cook."
The Vishwaroopam (2013) actor and filmmaker also played down the concerns expressed by Rajinikanth.
"I have many brothers like Rajinikanth, I can learn the art of money making and filmmaking from them," he quipped. The two superstars have been friends for years and have even featured together in more than a dozen films.
Haasan's financial struggles were highlighted when he had to mortgage his house to raise funds for Vishwaroopam. The film faced a battle to get a smooth release. Vishwaroopam’s success helped Haasan get his house back as he was able to pay off his loan.
Other than Rajinikanth, Satyaraj, Nassar, Vishal, KS Ravikumar and Ilayaraja were present at the prayer meeting.