There is a dark horse in the Tamil Nadu elections, the results of which will be out on May 4. While in the past, the election in Tamil Nadu has been between the two alliances led by the DMK and AIADMK respectively, this time, a third ‘force’ if it can be called that in the form of the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), headed by Tamil filmdom’s reigning superstar, Vijay. Various analysts have different opinions to offer about Vijay, some going as far as him becoming the king, if not the king-maker. Whatever his party’s performance is going to be, one thing is certain. He is going to make an impact.
But that assessment has to be leavened with caveat that Vijay is an untested element. This is the first election that he has jumped into. As preparatory work, he has performed populist rituals that other stars who aspired for a political career have done in the past. Like giving awards to school kids, going on a cycle yatra, etc. That, to be truthful, is not enough. People want more than the promise of a pie in the sky. MGR provided free cycle rickshaws to poor rickshaw pullers. He, through his films, spoke of the working class, and he promised to keep his promises to the poor. And to the possible extent, he did. The reason why MGR is a durable icon in Tamil Nadu is because he made the poor feel that he espouses their cause, like Indira Gandhi in the rest of India.
Despite the blaring propaganda about the failures and corruption of DMK-led government, It must be conceded that the DMK has done very well on the governance front. It is the industrial giant in the country after Maharashtra. It has created the largest automobile, textile and electronics hubs in the country. More importantly, it has been able to ensure impressive inclusive growth and admirable women’s empowerment. For instance, 43% of jobs in formal employment sector are held by women. Tamil Nadu accounts for 40% of the total number of women employed in the formal sector across the country! And Tamil Nadu’s welfare programmes are held up as the best among the states.
But let us not kid ourselves that there are no problems with the DMK administration. There is corruption vertically in the ruling establishment. But corruption is not an issue with the people, who seem to be content with the services they receive. Besides, DMK has advantages, it is in power, but the disadvantage is that it could face anti-incumbency. But it has one advantage that its rivals lack. It is the gift of fears of imposition of Hindi and Hindutwa. This is DMK’s trump card, that it will pull it out every time, and come up a winner. Because, the BJP which is actually its mortal foe, which uses AIADMK, PMK and even Joseph Vijay as its proxies, never talks of development issues. Imagine, imposing Hindi, aa two-hundred-year-old language that swallowed half a dozen rich languages to come into existence, on a state which is proud of the most ancient of the languages in India, Tamil. Imagine, someone like Ajay Singh Bisht being touted as the male model for a state which has a proud lineage of able and socially sensitive administrators, and is fond of its film heroes!
Every actor in TN has fan clubs. MGR, Rajini, Captain Vijayakanth, Kamal Haasan, Ajith etc. Vijay’s fan clubs, like Captain Vijayakanth’s in the recent past, have gone into high gear, and are attracting the youth. But hyperactive fan clubs do not necessarily mean vote mobilisation. Over decades, DMK has perfected voter mobilisation into an art form, and its loyal voters flock in droves into the booths, come election time.
That uncanny ability to pull in voters, and a party network comparable to that of the Bengal CP(IM) under the legendary Promode Dasgupta is what is daunting to its rival. When Rajinikanth indicated he may contest elections, his fan clubs went into high drive too. But Rajini backed out, when he realised he could not beat the DMK’s electoral machinery. Elsewhere in the South, it is the same story. There was a time when Rajkumar’s fans in Karnataka wanted him to contest and become Karnataka’s uncontested ruler. He realised he did not have it in him. He backed out. There was a time when Prem Nazir was the heartthrob of Kerala. But he never contested elections. Nor have Mammootty or Mohan Lal, the two brightest stars of Kerala filmdom. Pawan Kalyan in AP may be an exception, but it is the historic alliance of his Kapu caste and Chandrababu Naidu’s Kammas, that has propelled him to power. The last time Pawan’s Jana Sena Party contested elections on its, in 2019, Pawan lost in both seats he contested, Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram.
Prior to Pawan, his elder brother, Chiranjeevi, too plunged into politics, and in the 2009 elections to the AP Assembly, won 18 seats, emerging as the third largest group in the Assembly. But Chiranjeevi did not have the stomach for active politics, which requires almost round the clock engagement and discipline. He merged his party with the Congress, became a central minister, and after some time, retired from politics altogether.
That brings us to the only other southern film icon besides MGR, who succeeded in politics. NTR was a different kettle of fish. He was unique in every sense of the word. I followed him for a fortnight in 1982 during his barnstorming tour of AP. He had many advantages that his fellow south Indian actors did not have. He had tremendous energy and discipline that He had the aura of playing mythological roles like Krishna in 17 films. He had the incandescent Telugu oratory, unsurpassed till now. He had genuine love for Telugu, and pride, and for his people. During crises like droughts and during the China war in 1962, he would mobilise his fellow actors and go on fund-colllecting tours across the state. That convinced the people of his love for them.
We come back to Vijay. Vijay’s films, I am talking about in the last 15 years or so, like ‘Bairava’, ‘Katthi’, ‘theri’ and ‘Master’ and others spoke of genuine problems of the youth. But his latest films have been shameless image-building exercises lacking in substance as far as pro-people issues are concerned. Films like “Beast’ or ‘The Greatest of All time’ did not add to his image. They may have even damaged it.
Vijay’s recent rants against DMK may have more to do about the IT raids on his properties after he announced his wish to enter politics. Initially, he hoped he would be the Great White Hope in TN, but when his advisors told him he would be better off trying to get a piece of cake by joining DMK, he tried it, but Stalin rebuffed him, rightly or wrongly. In the meanwhile, the Centre raided Vijay, indicating obliquely that he better play the game of a vote cutter, to enable the BJP-AIADMK a fighting chance to topple DMK post-poll. Vijay has faithfully played along.
Film stars in south, who have very focused and geographically contained fan bases, are more chary of putting themselves on the stake, because unlike career politicians, their careers are precariously perched on their popularity. They can recover after a flop film. All actors have done it. But investing your everything, your persona, your popularity, your career, on an uncertain bet like election where nothing can be certain, is virtually playing Russian Roulette. That is what constrains major actors to hesitate from getting into politics, and staking their popularity, which is ultimately their lasting wealth. Vijay has taken a serious gamble. May 4th will tell us whether it has been worth his while.
K. V. Ramesh
KV Ramesh is a senior journalist and analyst, specialising in geopolitics, based in Bengaluru
