The ultimate pop-political dilemma skimming has been this week’s headlines, and it reminds me of a line from the infamous Tamil film Aaranya Kaandam (2011) — Onglukku Rajini piddikuma illa Kamal piddikuma? (Do you like Rajini or Kamal?). It’s one of those films that I like mentioning irrespective of context like an Aadhar evangelist.
The films that remain fresh in my memory from my formative years continue to be Rajinikanth’s Padyappa (1999) and Kamal Hassan’s Panchatantiram (2002). Everytime I take a trip on the nostalgia express, it resonates with me, as if I were sitting on the ringside at a Mayweather-Pacquio fight. Fun fact: I have never watched a boxing match. Period.
And neither were Padayappa and Panchatantiram pitted against each other. But following the icons’ and their announcement about entering politics, I can’t help but feel a little cathartic, given the number of times I’ve read gossip columns as a child and wondered if the superstar will ever enter politics; or if, hypothetically Hassan were to enter politics (honestly, none of us saw that coming), what would his political stance be?
Kamal met Rajini earlier last week at the superstar’s residence in Poes garden. The child that grew up watching the films of the two actors wasn’t just elated, but felt like a fantasy come to life. To put in context, imagine if science made it possible for Albert Einstein and Elon Musk to have a conversation; for all I know, the latter seems more likely. But Rajinikanth made it clear that, just like their films, their politics will be different - pop culture coming to life — En Vazhi thani Vazhi (My path is different from the rest).
Growing up, I’ve never thought I’d have a political affiliation, or even an opinion for that matter; given how the films of the late 90s and early 2000s rode the vigilante wave while making broad statements about how the system is corrupt, I had been conditioned to believe that politics, not as how the Greeks defined it, but how Tamil cinema portrayed it made me believe that politics was never something that was meant for me. I’m looking at you Shankar.
And, if I ever did have an affiliation, it would only be towards the stars who fought for what was right, with over the top violence and justice that lacks nuance. In today’s linear reality, that came true. But the adult filled with unrealistic liberal and utopian ideals is not reacting to this the way I thought I would.
Hypothetically, will the state of our state politics boil down to a non sequitur: Onglukku Rajini piddikuma illa Kamal piddikuma?
Bhargav Prasad
Twitter@CFLlightSabers
The writer specializes in first drafts, making observations on what makes Chennai, Madras