His now-famous line, “Even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa is voted back to power” (photo source ANI)
Rajinikanth vs Jayalalithaa – In the annals of Tamil Nadu’s political history, few incidents are as cinematic and consequential as the day Superstar Rajinikanth found himself stuck in a traffic jam caused by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s motorcade. What began as a moment of inconvenience for the actor soon snowballed into a symbolic act of defiance, ultimately influencing the course of an election and shaking up the state’s power dynamics.
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The Roadblock That Sparked a Storm
It was the early 1990s, and Jayalalithaa, then in her first term as Chief Minister, was known for her regal style of governance. Her motorcade, often comprising a long convoy of vehicles, would bring traffic to a standstill across Chennai. On one such day in 1992, Rajinikanth’s car was halted by police officers to allow Jayalalithaa’s entourage to pass.
According to Gayathri Sreekanth’s biography The Name Is Rajinikanth, the actor was told by a senior officer, “No traffic jam can move until the CM’s entourage drives past the road.” When asked how long the wait would be, the officer replied, “Maybe, in half an hour from now, Sir.” Rajinikanth, visibly irritated, asked, “Are you deliberately stopping me?” The officer remained silent.
A Cigarette, A Crowd, A Statement
What happened next was pure Rajinikanth. The actor stepped out of his car, walked to a nearby shop, bought a pack of cigarettes, and leaned against a lamppost. As he lit up, passersby began to recognize him. Within minutes, Dr. Radhakrishnan Road was flooded with fans, eager to catch a glimpse of the superstar.
The crowd grew so large that it delayed Jayalalithaa’s motorcade, flipping the script on the usual traffic protocol. When police officers requested Rajinikanth to move, he reportedly replied, “I’m waiting for her to pass. I don’t mind waiting.”
From Frustration to Political Firepower
This wasn’t just a celebrity tantrum—it was a turning point. Rajinikanth, frustrated by what he saw as imperious governance, began to speak out. In the lead-up to the 1996 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, he openly supported the DMK-Tamil Maanila Congress alliance, led by G.K. Moopanar and M. Karunanidhi.
His now-famous line, “Even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa is voted back to power”, was broadcast repeatedly and became a rallying cry for change. The impact was seismic: the AIADMK, which had won 225 seats in 1991, was reduced to just four seats in 1996. Jayalalithaa herself lost her constituency.
A Relationship of Respect and Rivalry
Despite their political differences, Rajinikanth and Jayalalithaa shared a complex relationship. At a prayer meeting after her passing in 2016, Rajinikanth said, “Jayalalithaa lost elections in 1996 because of me. I had hurt her.” He called her the “Kohinoor diamond” and recalled her graciousness, including her decision to postpone a party member’s wedding to attend his daughter’s ceremony.
Real Life, Reel Drama
The incident has since become part of Tamil Nadu’s political folklore, a real-life moment that felt straight out of a Rajinikanth film. It showcased the power of celebrity, the frustration of the public, and the unpredictable ways in which politics and pop culture collide.
In a state where cinema and politics are deeply intertwined, this traffic snarl wasn’t just a delay, it was a detour in history.
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