Rajini can't change politics with spirituality, Kamal will find it tough: Shatrughan
Shatrughan Sinha is sceptical about Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan’s entry into politics. “I hope they have worked out their political screenplays in some detail before taking the plunge. I don’t think they have, but I hope I am wrong. Politics is no bed of roses. Actors come from a world of glamour; they are addicted to glamour. There’s a lot of power in politics, and power is extremely glamorous. Actors enter politics in the hope of building their fame and glamour,” he says.
The politician, who is unhappy with the way he has been treated by his own party, the BJP, says that Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, both of whom he considers good friends, should be very clear about their reasons and motives for entering politics. He adds that he would have warned them against taking the plunge, had they consulted with him.
“They never sought my advice. If they had, I’d have warned them about the pitfalls of entering politics. Look at the way I’ve been treated by my parent party. I was given to understand that I’d be given a cabinet rank. Instead, a television actress was given the position. I was only subjected to humiliation and indifference. We actors are brought into political parties to draw in the crowd. But when we do that, the parties get insecure about our popularity. It’s a very tricky situation,” Mr Sinha says.
He says that the road ahead will not be easy for either of the actors, no matter how popular they are. “It’s not going to be easy. M.K. Stalin has a very strong power-base in Tamil Nadu. He has done a lot for the people. Rajini can’t ignore his position. Kamal Haasan too will find the going really tough. It is not easy to convince voters that you are a capable leader just because you’re a popular actor,” he says.
Mr Sinha also remains sceptical about the political stance and philosophy adopted by Rajinikanth. “Rajini speaks of ‘spiritual politics’. At a time when scamsters are running away with billions of rupees, you can’t change politics with spirituality. Desperate situations cause for desperate remedies. Can Rajini and Kamal deliver?” he questions.
Failed in politics
Sivaji Ganesan: joined the Congress Party in 1961, was made Rajya Sabha Member by Indira Gandhi. After her death in ‘84, he floated his own political party (Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani), but failed to create any impact.
Amitabh Bachchan: took a break from acting in 1984 to enter politics to support his family friend, Rajiv Gandhi. He contested from Allahabad, won with a huge margin but resigned after three years as he felt he couldn’t ‘fit in’.
Chiranjeevi: floated his own political party (Praja Rajyam Party) in 2008. It failed to make a mark in the 2009 AP elections. He later merged the party into the Congress, served as Central Minister after being nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Congress. His term has expired, now, he’s back to acting.
Upendra: established the Karnataka Prajnavanta Janata Paksha (KPJP) party in October 2017. He got a taste of real-life politics and quit the party in March 2018, following a massive internal rebellion against him.
Vijayashanti: began her political career with BJP in 1997. She quit BJP in 2005, floated a separate outfit ‘Talli Telangana’ to fight for separate statehood for Telangana. She merged her party with the TRS, won the Lok Sabha seat from Medak constituency in 2009. She joined Congress in 2014 and lost the election.
Sai Kumar: contested from Bagepalli assembly constituency on the BJP ticket in 2014 elections and again in the 2018 state elections — lost both times.
