Much in the news these days are top actors Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Prakash Raj and Pawan Kalyan expressing their views on issues plaguing the country.
While their comments and motivational speeches hint at their keenness to enter politics, they avoid answering the question ‘when will you take the plunge’. If we look at yesteryear actors like NTR, MGR and Jayalalithaa, they threw caution to the winds, let go of their showbiz careers for good and made a political mark: they worked hard and emerged victorious.
On the one hand is Kamal Haasan, who can be seen on every TV channel, giving interviews on how strongly he feels about the country’s problems. He also hints at joining politics. But when? No answer. Ditto for superstar Rajinikanth! On the other hand, in Tollywood, Pawan Kalyan has floated a party called the Jana Sena, and is looking forward to an active political career albeit without a concrete plan of action — like the others, the actor has been seen giving random statements to the media occasionally. This could be why many actors who speak about politics are not always taken seriously. In fact they are ticked off as ‘make-up and pack-up stars’.
However, actress and politician Jayasudha feels that it’s unfair to call them that. “We actors also feel the social responsibility and many actors like NTR, MGR and Jayalalithaa have proved that actors can also become chief ministers. So, I welcome Kamal Haasan and I want Rajinikanth to enter politics too,” she shares. Specifically supporting Kamal Haasan’s move, she states, “Kamal Haasan is a very bold person and he always speaks from his heart.
Many actors who reach the top position in their career want to serve the people and Kamal Haasan is also one of them. He is very knowledgeable and I am proud of the way he is announcing his political entry and doing something for the society.”
Meanwhile, political analyst K. Nageshwar says, “The problem with the stars is that they are very big when it comes to the film industry, and even in politics they aim very big and want to become a chief minister. They don’t want to end up being second or third-level political leaders. That could be the reason they are testing waters now and aren’t in a hurry to take the plunge.”
Nageshwar adds that the situation was different when stars like MGR, NTR and Jayalalithaa made a mark as politicos. “There was no strong opposition to the Congress at that time and elections were around the corner. NTR announced and floated the party immediately. The same situation was there in Tamil Nadu at the time of MGR. But the present day situation is different as there is still time for elections and many other parties exist,” he says.
Actor Chiranjeevi, another well-known star down South, thus becomes a fitting case in point. He joined politics and floated a new party in 2008. However, he merged his party into Congress as it couldn’t achieve what it set out to. Tamil actor Vijaykanth’s political career too met a dead end.
Another political analyst, Karri Sriram opines, “Film actors should realise that films and politics are completely different. Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth have struggled a lot in their film career and it takes years to reach to the top position. If they enter politics, they should have to work hard and it requires the same struggle. Many actors feel that they can do wonders because of their fan bases, but that is not the case! We already have the example of Chiranjeevi here; he completely failed despite a huge fan base.”
Another factor, Sriram mentions, that should be taken into consideration is the timing of a star’s political entry. “They can’t delay or dilly-dally. For example, Kamal Haasan should announce the party, its agenda and manifesto immediately if he wants to prepare for the coming elections,” he says, adding, “One thing is certain, in today’s professionally-driven age of full-time politics, no one can walk into politics straight from a film set and succeed like MGR or NTR did. That is history.”
