STAR ALLIANCE: RAJINIKANTH AND KAMAL HAASAN
The two kings Of kollywood- Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan are speaking of coming together politics. This is a sign of possible shake up in Tamil Nadu’s political scene. Because in l Tamil Nadu politics today there are no towering personalities, only minnows.
Kamal Haasan, who made his unexpected political entry, has steered his Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) into path of possibilities eversince he launched it in February 2018. In contrast, Rajinikanth, after vacillating for over two decades, is yet to transform his Rajini Makkal Mandram, a platform built on his fan clubs, into the party that he proposes to launch in time for the 2021 Assembly election. The friends have no ideological affinity — Haasan leaning left-of-centre and Rajinikanth advocating an as-yet-undefined “spiritual politics” — but they now seem open to an alliance “in the interests of Tamil Nadu,” should the need arise. Their shared belief, apparently, is that they are competent to fill the political vacuum because of their considerable screen charisma.
Kollywood has oiled the wheels of Dravidian politics for over 50 years, but the grease is coming off. Hero worship has not translated into electoral success sans an ideological connect and craving for change accompanied by a surplus of political trust in the change agent.
Nonetheless, he must be cognisant that his aspiration to launch a party months before the polls and get catapulted to the Chief Ministerial throne, like Andhra Pradesh’s N.T. Rama Rao did, may be a pipe dream at this inflection point in Tamil politics. Miracles do happen on the silver screen, but are rare in a complex democracy.
