Rajinikanth hospitalised in Hyderabad while shooting for his next movie “Annathey”, barely a week before he is expected to announce the launch of his political party

Rajinikanth announcing his decision to form a party and contest the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections at a press conference on December 3.

Rajinikanth, who was in Hyderabad for a movie shoot, was admitted to a private hospital on the morning of December 25 following “severe fluctuations” in his blood pressure. The news acquires significance coming as it does less than a week before he is expected to launch a political party in Tamil Nadu.

A press release issued at 12.30 p.m. from Apollo hospitals, Hyderabad, said: “Though he [Rajinikanth] did not have any symptoms of COVID-19, his blood pressure showed severe fluctuations and needed further evaluation for which he has been admitted to the hospital. He will be investigated and monitored closely in the hospital till his blood pressure settles down before being discharged. Apart from fluctuating blood pressure and exhaustion, he does not have any other symptoms and is hemodynamically stable.”

Rajinikanth has been in Hyderabad for the past 10 days to complete the shooting for his next movie, Annathey , produced by Sun Pictures. The shooting was rescheduled after a few of the staff involved in the movie tested positive for Coronavirus on December 23. Rajinikanth was also tested on December 22 for the virus and a press release said that he tested negative. As a precautionary measure, Rajinikanth had isolated himself at the local hotel where he was staying.

In October, Rajinikanth had publicly acknowledged his health problems and said that he would decide on the future course of action after consulting his followers. However, even when he met his followers on November 30, he did not say anything about starting a party.

But he told presspersons on December 3 that he would make a formal announcement about his party on December 31 (see “The ‘chosen’ one: Can Rajinikanth break the monopoly of the Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu?”). On the same day, he tweeted: ‘Party launch in January. Announcement on December 31.”

Nothing much was heard about his preparations to form a party except the warning from his Rajini Makkal Mandram (tha name of the new avatar of his fan club) that if district secretaries were found taking money for appointing members of booth committees, they would be expelled from the organisation. Soon after, he left for Hyderabad to complete his film assignment.

Now, speculation is rife about the party he had promised to launch in January.