Chennai: Should he or shouldn’t he enter politics? The Superstar’s Sunday confession came amidst a heightened clamouring by various political party leaders, urging Rajini to support them and ensure their lot prospers at the hustings. Rajini said that he was not frightened of politics, but hesitant to take the plunge. His statement has nevertheless triggered a lively debate in political circles and the film industry.
Political parties have, over the years, tried to cash in on Rajinikanth’s mass appeal and though former Union minister G.K. Vasan may be the latest to invoke his name, prior to this year’s April Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a personal visit to superstar’s Poes Garden residence. Later, speaking to reporters along with Mr Modi, the actor said that there was nothing political about their meeting. Mr. Modi said that the actor was a good friend and a well-wisher.
However, as things would have it, the Ms J. Jayalalithaa-led ruling AIADMK clearly swept the Tamil Nadu LS polls, handsomely winning 37 out of 39 seats, virtually decimating its arch rival, the DMK, while the BJP-led NDA managed to win a mere two seats. The impact of the ‘Amma wave’ was such that the Karunanidhi-led DMK failed to secure even a single seat in the state.
From his first film, Apoorva Ragangal in 1975 to memorable forays into Bollywood, like Andhaa Kanoon and Hum, from landmark films like Billa, Thalapathi and Annamalai to the mega successes of Basha, Muthu, Padayappa, Sivaji and Enthiran, Rajini’s inimitable style captivated audiences, young and old, over the years. His popularity among political leaders was also growing.
Making a strong pitch for his entry into politics, Mayilsamy, a popular supporting actor and comedian entertaining the masses for over 35 years, said that no other political party except the AIADMK and DMK had over a 25-lakh vote base in Tamil Nadu. “With his immense popularity, the superstar can command 50 lakh votes and that is why many political parties want him to join them. He will cause a big impact in politics. Good people like him should come. Let’s hope he will make the final announcement on December 12 when his film, Lingaa, is released.”
In fact, the buzz around Rajnikanth and his possible foray into politics has even resulted in the State Election Commission dropping the idea of having the superstar as their mascot.
Sounding skeptical, BJP state vice president M. Chakravarthy claimed that he could surely say that Rajini would not take the plunge into politics. “It is not that easy to sustain oneself in politics…. In my assumption, he may not take to politics. Had he made up his mind, he would have done so during former PM P.V. Narasimha Rao’s period,” Mr Chakravarthy added.
In 1996, after the Congress decided to align with the AIADMK, Narasimha Rao’s posters were torn down in Tamil Nadu and the oldest party then split, with the late G.K. Moopanar floating the Tamil Manila Congress. The latter aligned with the DMK and the superstar. In fact, Rajinikanth whose popular hit song, Vandenda paalkaren in Annamalai, riding on a ‘cycle’, became the party symbol of the TMC and the party had used the image of Rajinikanth riding a bicycle from the film in the Assembly election then.
According to Nagaraj, state general secretary of AISMK, Rajini has no plans for people. “Even the media, like everyone else, talks about Rajini’s entry into politics whenever his film is set to be released. But judging by past events, he is unlikely to join.”
Political commentator and writer Gnani said, “There is nothing new in his announcement. He has said this several times, using different words, before the release of his films. He has been making political statements to promote his films and to make the people come and view his film, and after the release he will go to the Himalayas.”
