Rajinikanth takes u-turn, gives up to Jayalalithaa

"If Jayalalithaa comes back to power, even God cannot save Tamil Nadu." This statement made by Tamil filmdom's demigod Rajinikanth in the first half of 1996 became an electrifying slogan in the Assembly elections that year leading to the AIADMK worst rout.

Now, for the reigning superstar of south India, the same Jayalalithaa has become a saviour of Tamil Nadu. " our victory has saved Tamil Nadu," is what the actor, who underwent a major operation at a corporate hospital in Singapore, told the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday when he spoke to her over phone.

Observers of Tamil Nadu politics are amused by the actor's flip- flop. In 1996, he had infamously crossed swords with Jayalalithaa upset that every time her convoy passed through the post Poes Garden in Chennai, where he too lived, traffic came to a standstill. Also, she had sacked a Minister as he had not countered Rajnikanth's charge that the " bomb culture" was growing in Tamil Nadu while participating in a film function. At that time, Rajnikanth was referring to pipe bombs being hurled inside ace director Manirathnam's house in Chennai.

Later, of course, he had made up with an angry Jayalalithaa and invited her to his daughters' wedding as well as arranged special previews of his films for her. At the same time, he was also maintaining cordial relationship with Jayalalithaa's political enemy number one and DMK president M Karunanidhi. During the last five years, he had met Karunanidhi at least on a half a dozen occasions.

Yet, to douse any speculation about him moving up close with the AIADMK leader, on Thursday he promptly called up Karunanidhi. According to a DMK press release, the actor called up told the octogenarian leader and advised him to take care of his health. So on whose side is Rajnikanth?