Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Monday hinted at joining politics and said that if he ever does so, he will take on those who make money out of it, reported ANI. In his first direct address to fans in eight years, he said, “Some of my fans urged me to join politics...If god is willing, I will enter politics and keep away those who are money-minded and power-hungry.”

In the same vein, however, Rajinikanth said he had made a mistake by supporting a political alliance 21 years ago. The iconic actor called his support for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Tamil Manila Congress tie-up in 1996 a “political accident”. He added that his name was now being used for “political gains”.

Rajinikanth had last held such an event with his fans in 2009 after the success of his film Sivaji.

During a condolence meet for former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in December last year, the Kollywood actor had said he had “hurt” the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief in the 1990s. “I had hurt her. I was the key reason for her [party’s] defeat.”

Just before the 1996 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Rajinikanth had said that “even god cannot save Tamil Nadu” if Jayalalithaa returned to power. Rival party DMK had won the elections that year.

Rajinikanth’s entry into politics has been at the centre of much speculation and chatter for years now. The rumours gained momentum in 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him during a party campaign. Although Rajinikanth had said that it was a non-political meeting, the actor and Modi are known to share a personal camaraderie.