Filmmaker Lenin Bharati has criticized Tamil superstar Rajinikanth after he gifted a gold chain to a Chennai sanitation worker, calling the move a ‘so-called generosity’. His comments came after Rajinikanth’s team shared pictures of the meeting on social media, which was widely praised.

Lenin Bharti criticized the actor, accusing him of not standing up for the sanitation workers when they were fighting for their rights. Sharing one of the pictures posted by Rajinikanth’s team, in which the actor is seen hugging the activist at his Poes Garden home, Bharathi questioned in Tamil where Rajinikanth was when the sanitation workers were protesting outside the Ripon Building, the headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation.

In her post, Bharti alleged that identifying workers only by their uniforms to show generosity amounts to demonstrative altruism. He branded Rajinikanth a “fake philanthropist” and criticized him for his selective acts of kindness rather than consistent support for workers’ interests.

The controversy follows Rajinikanth’s recent meeting with Padma, a sanitation worker from T Nagar, who was invited to his home and honored with a gold chain. Padma had earlier found an unclaimed pouch containing 45 pieces of gold jewelery and immediately informed her superiors before handing it over to the police, ensuring that it was returned to its rightful owners. Rajinikanth reportedly personally called him at his home to appreciate his honesty.

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While many on social media appreciated the actor’s move, Bharti’s comments have sparked debate online.