Megastar Rajinikanth, the beloved Thalaiva of Indian cinema, once came heartbreakingly close to proposing to the late legendary actress Sridevi—but fate had other plans.

In a story that sounds straight out of a film, it’s believed that Rajinikanth, whose career has spanned five decades across Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and more, was deeply in love with Sridevi during the early years of their collaboration. Their onscreen chemistry wowed fans, but few knew that behind the scenes, Rajinikanth harbored serious feelings for the Chandni star.

According to filmmaker K. Balachandar, Rajinikanth once arrived at Sridevi’s housewarming party, planning to confess his love and propose marriage. But just as he stepped in, the power abruptly went out, plunging the home into darkness. The superstar, ever sensitive to signs, saw it as a bad omen. He left quietly without revealing his intentions, never bringing it up again.

Despite this missed opportunity, Rajinikanth and Sridevi maintained a respectful and warm relationship, working in numerous films together across four languages. Their first was the 1976 Tamil film Moondru Mudichu, where a teenage Sridevi played Rajinikanth’s on-screen stepmother. Over the years, they starred in hits like 16 Vayathinile, Johnny, Bhagwaan Dada, and Chaalbaaz.

Rajinikanth is now gearing up for his next big release, Coolie, a high-octane Tamil action thriller slated to hit theatres on August 14, 2025, clashing with War 2 at the Hindi box office.

Sridevi, who passed away in 2018, left an irreplaceable void in Indian cinema. Her final leading role was in MOM (2017), followed by a posthumous cameo in Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero.

Sometimes, the biggest love stories are the ones that never got told—until now.