Tamilnadu’s tryst with tinsel town appears to have been sealed for posterity. With yet another adventurer from Kollywood launching his political party, there is nary any sign of the stardust settling down in this action-packed political theatre. Though their democratic right cannot be denied, many stars do think it is a divine right. Rajini backed out at the last minute, either out of good sense or sheer cold-feet but only after dithering for months and building a huge hype. But this ‘Black MGR’ seems to be no Hamlet.
The reactions will be mixed and depend on people’s perceptions, hopes and levels of disillusionment. Some are sick of such ambitious cinestars, while many remain star struck and still others are so desperate for a change that anyone other than the usual suspects is okay. And in a State where political history and celluloid history run parallel with a common Who’s Who, a highly politicised filmdom and hugely theatrical polity, a ripple in one can cause a wave, even a tsunami, in the other. While virtually every actor, post- MGR, wants to be CM and cultivates an image, just in case, every politico looks for the support of an actor provided he does not want to become CM himself. Little wonder, as elections get closer, Kollywood too draws nearer to the hustings.
Vijayakanth has promised to be diferent from both the primary Dravidian parties, and going by the rhetoric during the launch, may steer clear of them. This may cut ice with certain sections of the people yearning for an alternative to both the AIADMK and DMK. Whether he can fulfil such aspirations or do a TMC instead by ending up in either of the camps will actually determine his credibiity and future.
This is a stiffer test than taking on all those terrorists and baddies he routinely shoots down in his flicks.
The actor’s promise to eradicate corruption does sound good to the ears, but we have heard these lines in his movies and elsewhere too several times over! And many such champions have ended up at the top of the heap because society itself is a self-breeding vortex of sleaze that can suck in even the cleanest of men. And then there is the party machinery that needs constant grease to keep it running. Usually, what starts as such political corruption graduates into personal corruption with cronies and relatives making hay while the ‘star’ shines. So, till we await the climax, for the present, we should take the corruption talk as comic relief.
One huge advantage with star turned politicians is that owing to their wider appeal, they transcend caste considerations. This could be a welcome development in a State ridden by caste politics and where the winner is the one who gets this arithmetic right. Little wonder that those of the ilk of Ramadoss and Thirumavalavan are already at loggerheads with Vijayakanth. For now the duo will keep the actor busy because they will be the worst hit. The unemployed youth as also the unemployable ones who form their cadre may find the Black MGR’s outfit a greener pasture.
But actors’ pan-caste appeal is also their undoing. For it is only an ephemeral attraction which by itself is no guarantee for ability. And being always in the limelight, by some strange auto- suggestion the actors get convinced of their own ‘greatness’.
Such self-delusions soon afflict the fans who become more loyal to the king than the king himself. And the king is right even if he is wrong! For them their hero himself is the message while for the hero the fans’ whims are an unbreachable gospel.
Given such a frenzied bond and a culture of intolerance, where is the assurance that free and fair criticism will not result in burnt buses and broken bones? MGR himself found it difficult to restrain his fans on occasions. These are more violent times.
Of course, there are also such mundane things like economics, governance etc that are unlikely to humour fans. Populist peps would be the order both to feed the sychophants and to keep the leader’s do-gooder image alive. But the heroes will realise, or will be made to realise, soon that the world is larger than their fan club.
And also that, unlike in their films, they do not set the script in real politik. Punch dialogues may win applause in theatres, but the Assembly is a tougher arena where heck- ling and booing are privileged pastimes. If the filmi hangover spills over to politics, the action hero may find himself floored.
So it is with skepticism bordering on cynicism that one has to wait and watch as the latest puratchi show unfolds in this film-crazed State.
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