Vijayan-Mohanlal interview draws poll gimmick charge

In a rare departure from his usual image, Vijayan - often described as the state's "Iron Man" for his firm grip over the party and the government - traded his strong and silent persona for a candid conversation with the noted actor. The interaction, titled 'Iruvar', was conducted in a format that reminded many of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2019 interview with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar.

With Assembly elections due in the coming months, the timing of the interview has drawn attention, with observers noting that it appeared calibrated ahead of the campaign season. During the interaction, the Chief Minister spoke emotionally about custodial torture during the Emergency and his grief following the death of K Balakrishnan. He said he had read the Ramayana and Mahabharata to his mother and that these texts instilled in him a sense of detachment from an early age. He also spoke about his fondness for Rajinikanth's films. The CPI(M) Kerala unit shared clips of the interaction on social media, describing it as "Two Legacies".

The opposition UDF and the BJP were quick to criticise the move, terming it political optics.