The road to Fort St George begins at Kodambakkam. The route taken by script writers and film stars from Kollywood to the seat of Tamil power in a fort built by the British is the ultimate payback for the cynicism with which the rulers from UK viewed cinema. Films were a major medium of Indian protest that reached millions of colonised people. But none used it like the Dravidian politicians who had a direct connect with the people thanks to the reach of films.
There are apparently a number of contenders for the coveted seat in the chief minister’s suite of rooms and waiting rooms in the Secretariat. They may be coy of stating their real ambition, which is to get to that seat and hence this cat-and-mouse game they play about their political entry, dragging it to the point of leaving their audience frustrated at waiting to see whether these gladiators will come to the fore and transform their lives, as they tend to do in the world of movies.
If only it were that simple to transform society as it is made out to be in the world of the dream merchants spinning a fantasy tale of rags to riches on celluloid! Even if for a moment we were to believe that such a transformation were possible, then the Superstar Rajinikanth should be the prime contender for this dream role that two of his predecessors were to go on to play in real life – MGR and Jayalalithaa (ignoring the historical accident of VN Janaki also getting to sit on the throne for a few days).
How easily the world changes for the heroes portrayed by Rajini, as in Arunachalam when the indigent man gets the Midas touch. Kamal’s much acclaimed role as the disruptor in Nayakan is a great cinematic performance. However cynical we may be with regard to politicians rising from the most unlikely of scenarios, it’s impossible to imagine anyone with a kind of underworld background rising to rule with authority in the real world. Kamal’s retort – “someone must clear this quagmire” – is a nice line showing intent.
Let’s say Kamal is No. 2 in this race now, in terms of popularity with fans, although it does appear his political entry may pan out earlier given the ground he seems to have gained in the last few weeks, particularly in his foray into the real world of politics with a visit to the Ennore Creek over the weekend. This is when the film star took the first step in a transformation into a neta by taking up a public cause in studying the ecological disaster in the making not far from the Capital.
It would, however, be fair to assume that if the two co-stars, for the first time in 11 movies, of Moondru Mudichu, were pitted against each other in a fight for one political seat, the odds may just favour Rajini. And then there is Vijay, the heartthrob of the younger generation who attracts his fans with a formula of action, a bit of earthy comedy and much fighting in which he always emerges unscathed while felling a few score underlings of the villain. Much like in Rajini’s movies, there is never a dull moment in Vijay’s formula.
How these cinematic themes translate into real life aspirations has been the subject of constant study for serious students of sociology. Tamil film heroes of today may not be the overwhelming stars in the Sivaji or MGR mould. But films have always been a medium for anti-Establishment comments from early days. What Mersal passes off as critical comment is probably mild although it tended to hit directly at the Prime Minister and his office rather than Fort St George. And Vijay’s oft-stated interest in politics – there is no major state or national political leader he has not met – seemed to have found its loudest expression yet.
Any huge time lag between an expression of interest in entering politics and a real move towards carrying out that desire can be put down to a fear of the unknown. Does fandom always translate into political popularity? Can any film star imagine he could win any more seats than his own if he does decide to stand? To take the plunge into a subject with which they are not so familiar is too big a step to be taken on a whim. Even then, the stars have been building up suspense by often putting out feelers and teasers about their plans as if they were planning a movie premiere.
What would Jayalalithaa have made of all this were she alive? She was not contemptuous of other stars and she could be vicious if she had reason to believe that a threat was looming. Half the troubles movie releases of these stars with political ambitions faced may have been due to instructions coming from Poes Garden. Her departure from the scene does open up opportunities now for all comers. We could even say “May the best man win” if only we were convinced that film heroes will be good administrators.
