CHENNAI: Rajinikanth has once again caught the attention of not just his fans but also the general public and political watchers with his overt and covert remarks about taking a plunge into politics. The ‘Ambedkar touch’ in the poster of his next movie Kaala —considered by many as a political outreach by the 67-year-old Tamil film superstar—has added heft to the murmurs.
He has been keeping himself away for the last few decades since openly supporting the DMK-led alliance 21 years ago. Although he left everyone guessing, his words of ‘let us face the war when it comes’, were seen as a sign of his political ambitions.
However, it is not going to be easy for him to emerge a hero in the tricky world of politics, something he has done so successfully on the silver screen.
The big question mark in the minds of political observers is whether he still possesses the firepower to inspire new-generation voters in the age group of 18-25.
“The youngsters seem to have lost faith in the political leadership. That’s why they have come forward to fight for the State’s causes, be it jallikattu or the hydrocarbon project.
Being a status quoist, Rajinikanth cannot live up to the expectations of these youngsters,” says D Ravikumar, a writer and Dalit leader.
“It is doubtful whether a pro-establishment man will raise his voice in a virulent manner against the Centre to get back the rights of Tamil Nadu and win the hearts of the rebellious youngsters,” he argues.
Political commentator and senior Congress leader S Peter Alphonse feels similarly. “There will not be any windfall for the film star,” he says.
Emphasising that Rajinikanth wasted a better opportunity in 1996 to try his hand at politics, Alphonse notes the actor was youthful then, as were his fans, but the case is different now as the outlook of youngsters has seen a big change.
“Youngsters want employment, corruption-free governance. Their idea about politics and leadership has undergone a tremendous change,” he explains. “Can Rajinikanth adapt to modern-day politics?”
Saying that it is too early to air views on the impact of the entry of the superstar, political and economic commentator Dr Venkatesh Athreya, however, opines the stocks seem to be low for the actor to make his political debut.
“When MGR came to politics, the time was too good. But the scene now could be quite hard for Rajinikanth,” he observes.
If Rajinikanth does step in, Athreya feels politics may again move towards being personality-based rather than policy-based. On the positive side, however, Rajinikanth may find the downtrodden and soft Hindutva forces rallying around him.
Ravikumar, a former MLA, assumes the film star may corner 6-8 per cent votes, like DMDK founder and actor Vijayakant in the initial stages, but may find it too difficult to sustain.