Rajni Readies For Politics

This man has always reminded me of the Wizard of Oz. I mean Rajnikant.

Like the wizard, there are two Rajnis. The wizard’s public image is that of a mighty magician who had a solution for everyone’s problems. The lion believes he can give it courage, the scarecrow a heart and Dorothy just wants to go home. All believe the wizard can help them. So does the wizard an ordinary circus performer who like Dorothy is in Oz by accident. Like her he too wants to go home.


The two Rajnis are the gigantic cutouts they put up on the opening day of his movies, which is dripping with milk poured by adoring fans who have elevated him to the level of God. The other is an ordinary man who wears his modesty on his sleeve

But the lions, tin men, and scarecrows of Tamil Nadu believe he is the answer to their problems (Rajni not the wizard) and looks like after much dilly-dallying, he himself, it appears, has started believing in that. The wizard, on the other hand, had no illusions about himself.

He announced finally that he is going to form a political party for providing a “ clean and spiritual” government., Hope his “spiritual” does not translate into communal.

Hope during months of agonizing over his possible entry into politics, he took time to study the history of political parties formed by actors and their success rate. Several actor-politicians formed parties but only three succeeded in politics. The failures are a legion— , Sharat Kumar, Karthick, Chiranjeevi you name it. All these parties have disappeared without trace, Vijayakant achieved enough success in the elections before last to emerge as the main opposition leader in TN legislative assembly riding piggyback on Jayalalitha. But once he rubbed her the wrong way, the party is just a shell now.

Yes the genuine success cases are MGR in TN and NTR in undivided Andhra Pradesh. Jayalalitha gained from her association with NGR and intelligently building upon it.

It is a myth that screen popularity translates into votes in TN. Otherwise, Sivaji Ganesan, who was as popular as MGR and who had an equally strong fan base, should have succeeded in politics. First he was in Congress but the party couldn’t wrest power from the Dravidian parties despite that, Then he formed his own party and it disappeared without trace.

MGR owed his political success not merely to his reel image but his real image in public life as a philanthropist. His generosity was the stuff legends are made of. NTR appeared on Andhra political scene when deep disillusionment with Congress had set in and he projected himself as a redeemer.

Rajni’s co- star Kamal Hasan has also started a party and we really don’t know in which slot it will fit in. Kamal’s appeal is mainly to educated politically aware middle classes.

Rajni should have weighed all these factors before announcing his decision to start a party. Whatever his success rate will be, , he certainly will trouble the political waters of Tamil Nadu. And watch out! Someone in Delhi is getting the r nets ready for a fishing expedition in these troubled waters!

 

Sabitha I am frankly skeptical about "parties with a difference". Rajmolant has been hinting for years about his political entry. It has been something like a film that has been announced but whose release date is getting put off indefinitely. I wonder what he is going to do now with a transplanted lodney and serious renal problems. It would be better for him to retire and lead a life of ease.

 

Today is th great man's 70th birthday. Expect some earth-shaking announcement.

 

Tyagu sir, please read my post carefully Sivaji did start a party but it sank without trace within months. A big flop show from a hit star.

 

Haeiji he is a Maharashtrian from Karnataka. His real name is Shivaji Rao Gaikwad.. He is either a Maratha or belongs to the Mahar community of Dalits both of whom use that Surname. He earns his bread and butter from Tamil fans.