Thiruvananthapuram: From strolling through the courtyards of Cliff House, the official residence of the Kerala chief minister, to casually discussing his fondness for Rajinikanth films and moments of personal regret, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s upcoming interview with superstar Mohanlal appears to blend the personal with the political, with the former taking the lead.
The interview, titled ‘Iruvar’ (meaning two people in Tamil), is set to be released tomorrow ahead of the crucial Kerala Assembly polls, where Vijayan is once again leading the ruling CPI(M), aiming for a third consecutive term.
The teaser shows the actor and the chief minister chatting and laughing in a relaxed setting, with visuals and background score mimicking a feel-good movie trailer. It concludes with Mohanlal saying, “Ente Keralam, angayude Keralam, nammude Keralam” (My Kerala, your Kerala, our Kerala), with Vijayan applauding.
The interview’s release just weeks before the Assembly polls is significant, placing Vijayan among key politicians who have chosen to engage with actors in high-profile conversations in the election season.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat down with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar for an informal, largely non-political conversation. The hour-long interview aired on April 24, shortly after voting for the third phase of the elections, and drew criticism for focusing largely on personal questions during the campaign period.
Vijayan himself has previously engaged with Malayalam actors. Years ago, during his first tenure as chief minister, he and his wife participated in a candid interview with late actor Sreenivasan, discussing personal matters including his childhood. The conversation was titled Oru vadakkan veeragatha (A northern tale of valour), inspired by the classic Malayalam film starring Mammootty.
Similarly, in May 2016, when Vijayan was CPI(M) state secretary, he engaged in a conversation with actor Navya Nair, who addressed him as “uncle” through the interview. Both interviews were aired by Kairali TV, a channel backed by the CPI(M), and delved into his personal life, including questions directed at his wife.
The CPI(M), however, dismissed suggestions that the latest interview was a publicity stunt. “Congress’s PR stunt is already there. Mohanlal and the chief minister share a good friendship, and the trailer is good,” state industries minister P. Rajeev said.
The state’s opposition Congress said it had no objection to the interview.
“Pinarayi Vijayan is the elected chief minister of Kerala. If he does an interview with a known actor, we have no problem. The only issue is that ‘Iruvar’ was the title used earlier for the Oommen Chandy–Mohanlal interview. They could have changed the name. Let us at least see the chief minister smiling and answering questions. Usually, he speaks but does not take real questions. Let him at least respond to Mohanlal,” Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan said.
Talking to ThePrint, political analyst K. P. Sethunath said the interview was part of a broader image-building exercise by the party ahead of polls.
“I feel there is an attempt to portray him as a person rather than a hardcore communist. He is usually perceived as tough; this could be aimed at showing a softer side, a leader with empathy, a family man, someone connected to popular cinema,” Sethunath said.
Cinema in politics
With a career spanning over four decades and 400 movies, Mohanlal, who received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award last year, has never formally associated with any political party but has interacted with leaders across parties. He had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017, describing the meeting as “non-political”, and had publicly supported the Union government’s demonetisation move in 2016.
The superstar has himself previously interviewed former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in 2011, when Chandy was Leader of the Opposition. That interview, also titled Iruvar, aired on Jaihind TV, a Congress-backed channel, and discussed cinema, Kerala politics, and development.
The name Iruvar refers to the 1997 Tamil political film, a cult classic directed by Mani Ratnam, loosely inspired by the lives of Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi, and starring Mohanlal, Prakash Raj and Aishwarya Rai.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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