Rajinikanth Admitted To Hospital Over "Blood Pressure Fluctuations"

Rajinikanth was admitted to hospital in Hyderabad on Friday over "severe fluctuations" in his blood pressure. The megastar will remain in hospital tonight and will go through tests tomorrow, Apollo hospitals said in a statement this evening.

Rajinikanth, 70, was in Hyderabad for his film "Annathe" but the shoot was cancelled earlier this week after four members of the crew tested positive for Covid.

According to Apollo Hyderabad, Rajinikanth had tested negative for Covid on Tuesday.

"Though he 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," the statement said.

Apollo added that apart from fluctuating blood pressure and exhaustion "he did not have any other symptoms and is hemodynamically stable". His daughter is with him in hospital.

Later, the hospital gave this update: "Rajinikanth is being monitored closely and medications to control his blood pressure are being carefully titrated. He will remain in the hospital tonight and undergo further investigations tomorrow. He is stable and is resting."

Rajinikanth is scheduled to announce the launch date of his new political party on December 31, a widely-anticipated event ahead of the Tamil Nadu election in four months. For 25 years, his political plunge had been a matter of speculation but despite weighing in on various subjects, he stayed away from active politics. Though there is a chance his announcement may be postponed, fans and admirers are optimistic.

"Rajini Sir is an avatar of God. He will be okay. He is just tired after 10 hours of shoot," said Telangana Rajini Fans association president Srikanth to NDTV.

In October, he had admitted that his doctors had advised him to take extra care and avoid the heat and dust of a campaign as his immune system was weak after a renal transplant, which made him more susceptible to the coronavirus. The doctors had reportedly advised the veteran actor that a vaccine was the only solution and they were not sure if his body would even accept it.

The actor put out the clarification after a leaked letter, said to be written by him, set off speculation that he was reluctant to join politics because of his health.  "The letter is not mine but the information on my health and doctors' advice is true," Rajinikanth had said in a statement.

Earlier this month, on December 3, Rajinikanth consulted with his outfit and declared he had decided to enter politics and launch his party, which would contest the Tamil Nadu election. "It is now or never," he said, promising a miracle in the polls.

Sources close to the actor had earlier said he would return to Chennai in two days for his New Year's Eve announcement of the launch date.

The plan is for two leaders of his "Rajini Makkal Mandram" outfit to launch on January 4 a two-week tour of Tamil Nadu and visit every district to oversee the party's preps on the ground, including setting up booth committees. After their return, Rajinikanth is to formally launch his political party on the third or fourth week of January, either on Pongal festival or on the birth anniversary of actor-politician MG Ramachandran or MGR, the iconic founder of Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK.