CHENNAI: The most popular of them all, matinee icon-turned-chief minister MG Ramachandran; his co-star, protege and successor, J Jayalalithaa, were both darlings of the masses, like Ajith Kumar is as an actor. But the similarities end with their film background. As much as it caused a sensation in the neighbouring state — with the detailed reports on Malayalam TV news channels on Ajith — he is not going to succeed Jaya as the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu, as the Kerala media claims.
What started off as a bizarre ‘news’ a few days after Jayalalithaa was hospitalised on September 22 — some say it was a Telugu report that suggested it first — and quickly spread in Malayalam online media, has now reached a ridiculous dimension after her death. Leading TV channels are running news programmes on the prospect of Ajith Kumar becoming chief minister, and even holding phone-ins with journalists of Malayali origin who are familiar with Tamil Nadu politics.
From a random website that ran the story first, these reports are now being shared on WhatsApp and social media — including screenshots that show popular anchors standing next to TV graphics that have handsome images of Ajith.
Known as ‘Thala’ —leader— Ajith is a popular star, as much as his fellow actor Vijay, if you need a comparison. Imagine a younger version of the Rajini-Kamal duo. Both young actors have done almost an equal number of films, all decidedly commercial and a touch difficult to endure unless you are of a certain age, or a certain group. But both stars deliver at the box office almost always, and have a fanatic fan following.
Curiously enough, while Ajith has stayed away from fan associations and public functions, Vijay has open political ambition. At least his father, noted producer-director SA Chandrasekar, has.
There are charity events annually held on Vijay’s birthday where he is the typical altruistic, inspirational young man —MGR, if you may— and industry reports portray him as a calm, respectful, well-behaved young man who keeps to himself when not before camera. That is a little ironic considering his films portray him the same way, with just the added ingredients of songs, dance, a young woman, and one villain or a thousand, depending on the ‘grandness’ of the script.
But what the father and son lacked was timing.
Vijay, once considered part of the ‘Rahul Brigade’ of 2009 (remember that sitcom launched after UPA won a surprise score in the Lok Sabha elections?). And he was suitably punished by the DMK, which was then the ruling party. It is said that the DMK used its deep network in the industry to sabotage his films at the box office. There could be no other explanation to the string of flops he suffered, though it is rather difficult to differentiate between a Vijay hit and a Vijay flop.
Vijay then met with an even bigger obstacle when he made Thalaiva —again, leader; and again, like Thalaivar for MGR, if you may. The political ambition was evident. Soon enough, theatres that had booked the film received threatening letters from outfits unheard of, claiming that the film had objectionable portions and would not be allowed to be screened. Vijay’s best attempts to reach out to Jayalalithaa, who was Chief Minister at the time, were ignored.
Ajith, on the other hand, has remained away from all public events. In fact, in 2010, when M Karunanidhi was in power, during a function to fete the chief minister’s achievements, Ajith requested him directly during his speech to ask organisers not to pressure actors into attending events. He was reportedly intimidated on stage and afterwards, following which he offered an apology for what he claimed was unintended.
Ajith also dissolved his fans’ association in 2011, an unusual move for an actor whose success is largely dependent on the devotion of the “I-watched-it-15-times” mantra. If he were at all interested in politics, it would seem prudent to keep and grow the mass base that the fan clubs offer.
Unlike, say a Kamal Haasan who offers commentary on matters of individual and artistic liberties, Ajith stay away from public attention except when the media talks about him the pre-release publicity of movies and write periodical stories on his love of car racing and biking. He may well have an opinion about everything under the sun, but to his credit, he has kept the wisdom to himself, unlike people with political ambitions.
Stories about Ajith becoming the next chief minister, therefore, are just that — stories. Not a very amusing one in fact; the film industry has even stopped making such films anymore. That it is appearing as news reports in Kerala reflects poorly on the media there. The media there is familiar with Kerala politics and its own dynamics of Nair-Ezhava and Church and the Muslim League. At the heart of Tamil Nadu, it’s no different but for the names. Thevars, Vanniyars and Gounders among a half a dozen others have carved the space for themselves. Ajith is none of that.
Tamil Nadu has a chief minister in place. His name is Ottakara Thevar Panneerselvam. Ajith replacing him, or anyone else for that matter, is as good a meme as him casting away leaders like the incumbent Pinarayi Vijayan and others like Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala to become the chief minister of Kerala — like it happens in the movies in the span of a song sequence.
Considering the flutter Ajith as CM has caused in Kerala, perhaps this is a film that should be made in Malayalam.