Rajinikanth’s protracted drama over the years has been used to project him as a person who can’t make up his mind, a quality that can kill a political career.
“I have my profession, my job. You have your jobs to return to. Go back to your places and do your job. We will come back when it’s time for the war.” That is what Tamil film superstar Rajinikanth told his fans, who have been eagerly waiting for two decades for him to take the plunge into politics.
The time seems to have come now, with Tamil Nadu politics in a state of utter confusion after the by-election to the R.K. Nagar assembly constituency, which had been vacant since the death of J. Jayalalithaa in December 2016.
Even now, he has not made a categorical announcement of his entry into politics. All he has said is that he will announce his decision on whether to enter politics or not on 31 December.
However, for the first time, it appears as though the question is one of ‘when’ and not ‘whether’.
Though speculation about his political plunge has been high ever since his famous “even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa comes back to power” quote in 1996, Rajinikanth himself has blown hot and cold over his political ambitions, if any.
That 1996 statement was exploited by the DMK and its ally Tamil Maanila Congress to the hilt to rout Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK, which had just delivered a corrupt five-year term. TMC, which had been allotted the bicycle as its election symbol, even exploited the scenes from one of Rajinikanth’s films ‘Annamalai‘, in which at least during the first half of the movie, the superstar was often seen on a bicycle.
As the clamour rose again after 2001, it was expected that he would make his political intentions clear in his 2003 movie ‘Baba‘. But his failure to do so not only disappointed his fans, but also resulted in the movie bombing at the box office.
In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, RSS ideologue S. Gurumurthi managed to convince Rajini to issue a statement vaguely supporting the BJP, without referring to the AIADMK at all. That, of course, did not work, and cast a shadow over his political worldview.
However, since the death of Jayalalithaa, things have changed. The BJP’s central leadership, which hoped to piggy-back on the AIADMK into state politics, has gotten a reality check.
The dormant “bring-Rajinikanth-into-politics” demand has rekindled. There was speculation that he might be the face of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. However, his close confidants say he is shrewd enough to understand that joining the BJP to launch himself in politics is fraught with risks.
The other option is to launch his own party, with which the BJP may or may not hitch itself. There are also indications that instead of directly launching a political party, he might announce the formation of a ‘peravai‘ (forum) outside of his fan club set-up, as the precursor to the launch of a full-fledged political party.
Questions have been raised about his protracted “should I, should I not” drama over the years, which has been used to project him as a person who cannot make up his mind, a quality that can kill a political career.
With both the Kazhagams in turmoil (degree of the turmoil differs vastly), and given the extreme dissatisfaction of the people with existing political structure in the state, and none of the other political players including the Congress having any significant space, the stage is set for the arrival of a new messiah.
That brings us to the Kamal Haasan, who has in recent months indicated his political ambitions. Kamal and Rajini share a long, enduring friendship, both in the industry and at a personal level. But they situate themselves at different ends of the political spectrum. One is often tempted to categorise Rajini, with his inclination towards spirituality, as a natural ally of the BJP. But Kamal has openly attacked Hindutva, proudly sports his atheist badge, claims to be a Communist at heart, and flaunts his admiration for Karunanidhi.
That might pit them against each other if both decide to enter politics. But while Rajini has stirred up the embers of speculation about his entry, Kamal has been missing in action in recent weeks, after feverish activity on Twitter. No doubt, he is busy with the post-production work for his next movie. But his silence, especially when the political pot in the state is boiling, makes him appear like a part-time politician.
The time is ripe for Rajinikanth. If he backs out or stops short this time, the people of Tamil Nadu may not give him another chance.
Kalyan Arun is a political analyst and journalism educator in Chennai. He tweets at @kalyanarun.
Films Superstar Rajinikanth announced on last day of 2017 on 31 December 2017 that he is entering “spiritual politics” in Tamil Nadu to give clean and honest Govt. The “spiritual politics” announcement by him is echoing in substance this Vedic astrology writer’s prediction in article – “ Astrologically speaking , some highlights for India in coming year 2018” – published at theindiapost.com on 19 October , 2017. The related text is reproduced here from the said article : -“ The year 2018 looks to be bringing to focus themes of political , religious or spiritual nature for a heightened or sharp analysis or discussion. Such analysis or discussion could also pave way for new enactments or judicial pronouncements having far reaching significance or value , covering issues related to women , religion and political class”.