The long awaited and much expected entry of Rajinikanth into politics may become a reality as the actor spells out his decision on political ambitions on New Year eve. His fans and sympathisers are keenly waiting for the announcement on 31 December. The actor with a huge fan-following is unarguably the ‘super star’ of Tamil cinema with an acting career spanning over four decades. No one can deny his mass appeal and still the mere utterance of the words ‘super star’ gets youngsters frenzied.
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Veteran Tamil film director K. Balachandar brought Sivaji Rao, a humble bus conductor, to Tamil cinema rechristening him as Rajinikanth. The young actor with dark complexion, mesmerising eyes and unique ‘styles’ endeared himself to the people and became one of the very successful film stars Indian cinema has ever seen.
Rajinikanth is not known for his political views and had hardly commented politically on things. But during the run-up to 1996 Tamil Nadu assembly elections he made an announcement in favour of the DMK-TMC alliance which turned out to be his first ever open political statement. As the alliance Rajinikanth supported won the elections some people claimed it was because of the actor’s mass appeal while others dismissed it as a fluke. After the elections Rajinikanth continued to keep himself politically silent.
In his films he would tacitly convey about his entry into politics, sometimes he even would indulge in speaking about it at public gatherings. But on screen or off, his words were inconclusive. “Don’t know where, when and how, but I surely will come” goes one of his famous on screen dialogues in this regard. Some frustrated fans have even stopped bothering about their super star’s plunge into politics.
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The death of Jayalaitha and an illness forced retreat from active politics by Karunanithi in the State might have prompted him to take the plunge and fill the void. But political observers think that Rajinikanth is no more capable of influencing the State’s politics as the present scenario is not what it was twenty years ago. They cite certain rationale to support their claim; star charisma and massive fan-following will not turn into votes nowadays and, though unfair, Rajinikanth’s Kannadiga identity will be raked up by hardcore Tamil-nationalist forces in the State.
If Rajinikanth decides to enter politics it is not clear whether he would float his own party or join a party of his choice. If he goes for the latter option, political analysts say that it will be BJP, the party he would join hands with. Given the dismal state of BJP is Tamil Nadu, NOTA garnered more votes than BJP in the recently held RK Nagar by-election, that too won’t be a smart choice. Or it can be seen this way, Rajinikanth entering politics in BJP’s big national platform and the actor’s entry giving Tamil Nadu BJP the much needed shot in the arm in a case of benefits for both. So, we hope that this New Year eve a question dangling over for unduly long time is put to rest.
