Tradition can be resilient. Politics, on some occasions, mirrors its endurance. Consider the traditional hold of the film fraternity on Tamil Nadu’s electoral politics. The churn in this southern state’s political firmament continues to be influenced by stars: the announcement by Rajinikanth that he would soon be dipping his toes into the unpredictable currents of politics is a testament to this phenomenon. Whispers of the veteran actor entering politics had been swirling for years and the final day of December is expected to reveal the contours of his political formation. The artist — three years ago, his fan clubs reportedly numbered 50,000, with the majority of their members hailing from minorities and socially disadvantaged groups according to some estimates — would be hoping that his massive following would propel his political fortunes.
Tamil Nadu’s political pie has been divided by formations rallying around the Dravidian identity and relevant social, cultural and economic aspirations. The challenge for the mega star would be to create a niche for himself in this competitive space. The demise of two influential figures, M. Karunanidhi and J. Jayalalithaa, has left a vacuum. But public adulation may not be enough to win political contests. Kamal Haasan’s freshly minted Makkal Needhi Maiam did not quite create a splash in the parliamentary elections of 2019. There is no concrete word on Rajinikanth’s preference for alliances yet — Tamil Nadu goes to the polls next year — but there have been persistent speculations about his political — ideological? — leanings not being averse to those of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Indeed, the BJP, which announced that it would fight the assembly elections in partnership with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, has been receptive to Rajinikanth’s political turn. It remains to be seen whether the BJP attempts to deepen its imprint in Tamil Nadu by cashing in on the artist’s aura. Bihar, where the BJP finally managed to clip Nitish Kumar’s wings, offers a template of this model of saffron expansion. But such a strategy is unlikely to please the thalaiva.
