Chennai: By launching protests against Vijay-starrer Sarkar, the ruling AIADMK has, in fact, done a huge favour to its arch-rival DMK. For, it was the main Opposition party which had more reasons to sulk about the movie, bankrolled by its leadership’s extended family-run Sun Pictures.
The film, in a never-before-way, promoted Vijay as Thalapathy, a nametag hitherto used to refer to DMK president M K Stalin. With the DMK already being wary of actors entering politics (remember its recent tirade against superstar Rajinikanth in Murasoli?), the party is not ready to digest an actor with political ambitions being called by the ‘sacrosanct’ sobriquet of its supremo.
Already, DMK men vented their ire against Vijay and Sun group head (and Stalin’s nephew) Kalanithi Maran on social media. There was also a hearsay that Stalin had expressed his displeasure over the issue to his family members, since Sun TV was ‘grooming and helping’ someone who might become a threat to the DMK in the future.
Also, Sarkar, directed by A R Murugadoss, not just targeted the AIADMK but DMK, too. There are enough cues in the movie to substantiate this. The negative ‘Chief Minister’ Masilamani character (played by former MLA Pazha Karuppiah) resembled Karunanidhi a lot. Not just that, his house in the movie had many similarities with the Gopalapuram residence of the DMK patriarch and even his death scenes reminded one of Karunanidhi’s passing away a few months ago. Even the mausoleum was not left out.
Coming to the dialogues, Sundar Ramasamy (Vijay) roasted the parties that repeatedly ruled Tamilnadu for the past many decades for ruining the State in all possible ways and it is an open secret that he was referring to the AIADMK and DMK.
While the DMK tactfully maintained silence – for obvious reasons – ever since the release of the movie Tuesday last, the AIADMK has gone out all guns blazing against Sarkar for naming a wicked woman politico as Komalavalli (‘original name of former chief minister Jayalalithaa’) and for taking a dig against freebies being distributed by the government.
These protests and threats by the ruling dispensation have come as a blessing in disguise for the DMK, for the damage has been done to the rival and the blame has been taken by the AIADMK. Back in the 1970s, when MGR made corruption charges against the Karunanidhi regime and Sarkaria Commission was subsequently formed by the Centre, the DMK suffered a big loss. Cut to the present, Vijay and Sarkar posed a challenge to the DMK, but Stalin has overcome it successfully with a simple silence. Who said Stalin lacks the smartness of Karunanidhi?