Tamil Nadu Minister and senior DMK leader Durai Murugan took a veiled jibe at actor Rajnikanth on Sunday for his 'old school' remark, stating that some old actors continue to act even after losing teeth. Durai Murugan's reaction comes after Rajnikanth made a snarky comment about him during the launch event of a book on former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Friday.
Praising Chief Minister M K Stalin for 'managing' senior DMK leaders in the part, Rajnikanth said: "One thing amazes me. Handling new students in the school won’t be an issue but it is not easy to manage old students (senior leaders). Here (in DMK) we have many old students. That too not normal students. All are extraordinary old students. All these old students are rank holders, saying they won’t leave the class. Especially, we have Durai Murugan. We can’t say anything. Stalin sir, hats off to you for handling everything."
The jab did not go unnoticed by Durai Murugan who responded in the same tone. "In a similar situation, even we can say young artists are losing opportunities because of old actors who continue to act, even after growing beards and losing teeth."
The 86-year-old Durai Murugan is the Minister for Water Resources in the current DMK ministry. He is also a veteran MLA with over 52 years as a legislator. Stalin has called Durai Murugan his mentor, calling him "the guiding force in party affairs".
As for Rajinikanth, the actor shares a good rapport with DMK and its leader Stalin. While releasing the book on Karunanidhi authored by state Public Works Minister E V Velu, Rajinikanth said the fame of iconic leaders like Karunanidhi continued to increase in public memory through portrayal in books. "The DMK functionaries are like a banyan tree, unshakable, and can withstand any storm," Rajini said as he received the first copy of the book 'Kalaignar Ennum Thaai.'
DMK Youth and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also praised the actor, stating that his speech got huge applause. "Youths are ready and willing to come to our side. We only have to give space to them and hold their hands to guide them. Superstar Rajinikanth’s speech got huge applause. You all would have seen that speech."
