Rajinikanth’s reel magnetism is undeniable but what do voters see off the screen?

Rajinikanth’s 'Kaala' attracted immense pre-release interest among those hoping to glean his politics from the film. No matter that the film’s director Pa Ranjith is a votary of subaltern assertion, when it is a Rajini film the superstar overtakes the vehicle and the message. Unlike the black and white binary and associated cultural connotations of evil versus good or dirt and purity that Kaala seeks to overturn, Rajini is already finding that politics rarely lends itself to such neat compartmentalisation. He got a taste of this difficulty in Tuticorin. Rajini’s views about anti-socials infiltrating the agitation and that continuous protests could turn Tamil Nadu into a graveyard were heavily criticised.

Successful politicians rarely have a ready-made political script but are products of circumstances like political and developmental vacuums that they skillfully exploit. Yet Rajini must tout 'Kaala' as his own spin to Dravidian politics given the question many are asking, whether a post-Dravidian polity is possible in Tamil Nadu and whether his honorific as “Thalaiva” endows enough clout to exploit the shortcomings of Dravidian parties.

Also Read: 'Kaala' - Complete Coverage


Both Rajini and Kamal Haasan seek to exploit the vacuum created by AIADMK’s floundering leadership as they turn their fan associations into political parties. These clubs may have organisational presence down to the grassroots, experience in mobilising audiences to fill theatres, and conducting charitable activities. But the neo-netas will be competing with political parties that have developed competencies like patronage networks that cut through bureaucratic red tape or offer financial assistance or physical protection when the situation demands. MG Ramachandran supplanted a weakening Congress as DMK’s main rival. NT Rama Rao’s TDP harnessed regional sentiments to upstage an overbearing Congress in Andhra Pradesh.

These two were charismatic individuals but also benefitted from voters generously ascribing to their real-life personas the qualities of the superhuman, mythological or do-gooder roles they played in films. But another matinee idol Chiranjeevi pitted against YS Rajasekhara Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu failed. It’s a moot question whether overexposure has set in and movies cut less ice with Tamil Nadu voters when making political decisions these days. But the performer-politician is among democracy’s greatest surprises. Forget not that Donald Trump was a TV reality show star before trouncing American politicians who thought they had seen it all.