Actor-politician Kamal Haasan, who recently became a member of the parliament in Rajya Sabha, asserted that Vijay is not his political enemy, and that his direct rival is casteism.

Speaking at the Hortus Art and Literature Festival in Kerala, the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder was asked about the party's rival ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections. In reply, he said, "My enemy is bigger than what most parties would dare to identify. My enemy, direct enemy...I’ll go for the kill, is casteism. Why use a violent word like kill? Because casteism is very, very violent. It has to be dealt with deliberately, quickly, and as soon as possible. That is my enemy, I have chosen my enemy, it’s a big enemy."

He spoke these words when he was probed on stage about Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) positioning himself as a direct rival of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. It is to be noted that the actor got into the Upper House after he struck a pre-election agreement with the party during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

When he was questioned on whether he had any advice for Vijay, Kamal said that he is "not in a position to give advice." "I never took advice because it never came to me at the right moment. Maybe it’s not the right moment to advise my brother. Experience is a better teacher than any of us because we have a bias; experience doesn’t. It just comes, gives you what you deserve to learn," he further added.

On the work front, Kamal Haasan was last seen in Thug Life earlier this year, helmed by Mani Ratnam. He is working with stunt choreographers Anbarav on their directorial debut KH237. He is also backing Rajinikanth's Thalaivar 173 through his Raaj Kamal Films International banner. Meanwhile, Vijay, who was last seen in The Greatest of All Time (GOAT), directed by Venkat Prabhu in 2024, is awaiting the release of H Vinoth's Jana Nayagan which hits theatres on January 9, his reported final film before his full-fledged entry to politics.