Rajinikanth prepares for a new role with the BJP

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Rajinikanth prepares for a new role with the BJP

Amitabh Bachchan tried it in the '80s, flopped miserably, and returned to Bollywood to pay off his debts.

By Allan Jacob

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Published: Fri 7 Apr 2017, 7:49 PM

Last updated: Sat 8 Apr 2017, 1:06 AM

It's not unusual for movie stars to foray into politics when work dries up as they age or when they think the time is right to 'serve society'. Amitabh Bachchan tried it in the '80s, flopped miserably, and returned to Bollywood to pay off his debts.
Others like Vinod Khanna, Dharmendra and Hema Malini continue the charade. There's little conviction in what they do as long as it keeps them in the public eye and gives their party the numbers in Parliament. But Rajinikanth, the Tamil superstar, the uncrowned thailavar (leader) could change the rules of the game for the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They want him as their mascot for their southern run as they convert his fan base into votes.
Thalaiva, thalaiva! (leader, leader) fans scream when the actor makes those carefully choreographed appearances at award functions. Visiting dignitaries call on him at his Poes Garden residence in Chennai. Recently, Malaysian PM Najib Abdul Razak met the star in Chennai for a selfie. For Rajinikanth, power is his for the taking, yet he's reluctant, almost shy and private, unable or unwilling to come out of his shell for fear of failure.
It's like those navel-gazing heroes in Indian movies afraid of commitment. There's no consummation of the relationship with the masses. So close, yet so far. Will he, won't he?
Two decades is a long time to make up his mind, don't you think? And at 66, you're not sure if he is thinking hard enough before he decides to take the plunge - 'to serve society'.
Millions of his followers spanning several generations want him to get his hands dirty and clean up the mess that is Tamil Nadu politics - a movie cult that lacks ideas and direction. The death of J Jayalalithaa, the chief minister, who was also a former leading actress, has created a power vacuum in the state. The Tamil film industry wields enormous clout on how the government is run, one reason why the state slips in the social charts - all glitter, sycophancy and nothing else.
Politics in Tamil Nadu feeds off the movies  and do-gooders from the movies. Movie heroes are infallible, beyond reproach, and they can make things work for the lower-middle classes and the exploited even though their faith has been tested in the past by actor-politicians who were petty feudal populists. Yet, the Tamil people persevered with them. The hero wins after all.
It began with MG Ramachandran (MGR) in Tamil Nadu in the '60s. The star, a Malayalee by birth, joined the Dravidian social movement, which was anti-Brahmin (higher caste) and also anti-Hindi. MGR made Tamil Nadu and the people of the state his own. He launched free midday meals for kids when he became chief minister. Such was his influence that he could win elections from hospital and during treatment in the US. He remained chief minister till his death. Jayalalithaa, his leading lady, protégé and successor, also ruled till her death last December. It could be Rajinikanth, or Rajiniser's turn now.
A Maharashtrian by birth, whose real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, Rajinikanth started his career as a bus conductor in Bangalore in the late '60s on route 10A from Shivaji Nagar to Majestic. Others remember him 'conducting' the journey on the Shivaji Nagar-Cox Town 121 route. No one's certain, which adds to his charisma and staying power on the long road to stardom.
He spoke Kannada, Marathi and Tamil fluently. He wasn't a conventional looker, but made up with some quirky moves, a unique style and mannerisms that endear him to the people in Tamil Nadu even today.
In the seventies, he joined the Pune film institute and impressed Tamil film director K Balachander who became his mentor. His break in Tamil came with Apoorva Ragangal.
Rajinikanth loves a grand opening on any stage. He's known for his introductory scenes and his dialogues. There's a swagger he's perfected. The snapping of the fingers, the way he wears his sunglasses. There's even a Rajini salute and cigarette flick. Only he can bash up fifty goons without planting his feet on the ground or carry off a leather jacket as he plots a break-in in the sweltering heat of a Madras (now Chennai) night. Leather trousers complete the act. Comic relief for some, seventh heaven for the majority of his fans.
He fights for the poor, the dispossessed in the movies. It's about social justice and creating a level playing field. And he's been doing it for over three decades. "If I, a former bus conductor can do it in style, with a swagger, you can too," is his message for the masses.
Basha, the auto-driver turned don is now Kabali, the activist-don who breathes fire. Rajinikanth is even playing his age these days. Neruppu, da. I'm fire, he spouts in Kabali that took the Tamil world by storm. Next up is his futuristic 2.0, a sequel to Robot.
But before that, there may be some unfinished political business to complete as Modi and the BJP actively woo him for votes. They sense an opportunity in Tamil Nadu after the death of Jayalalithaa and the infighting in her party. Rajiniser even agreed to Modi's request to shoot 2.0 in India as part of the government's Make in India plans. Meanwhile, the superstar is meeting fans across the state from mid-April. He's not afraid to join politics, he says.
"Only God and I know when the time is right for me to take power," he said in Annamalai, one of his superhits from the '90s. But he flattered to deceive in 1996, at the height of his cinematic power. There was disappointment then. There's a sliver of hope now that Modi's a good friend. The Dravidian movement is dead. Digital nationalism is the ruling mantra these days in India. Who knows. 2.0 from Rajinikanth could be just what Tamil Nadu needs to reboot its performance.
Allan is opinionated, loves an argument and digs country music 
allan@khaleejtimes.com
 
 


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