It is fascinating how the Dravidian movement, spearheaded by some of the most important iconoclasts in Tamil history, found its perfect partner in cinema. What is more fascinating is how this journey was propelled by matinee idols who became demigods, and icons. In fact, the Tamil Nadu train has been running on the parallel tracks of cinema and politics for so long that it has been almost six decades since the state has seen a non-cinema-related chief ministerial candidate being elected by the people. CN Annadurai, M Karunanidhi, MG Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa and MK Stalin have all been connected with cinema in one way or the other. Of course, politicians like O Panneerselvam and Edappadi Palaniswami were chief ministers, but they had to fill in for various reasons, and were never the original CM candidate of their parties. Such is the power of politics and that of cinema.
Despite legendary Congress leader and former CM K Kamaraj’s disapproval of the Dravidian party’s usage of cinema for propaganda, the first film artiste to enter the legislature in Independent India was a Congress nominee — KB Sundarambal.
Nevertheless, the antecedents of this nexus between cinema and politics were sown right during the mid-20th century when films were written exclusively to tear down the hierarchies of society and preach the values of Dravidian ideology.
“Great orators turned into great screenwriters and used cinema to drill Dravidian principles into Tamil society. Annadurai and Karunanidhi wrote films that continue to resonate with the masses. Then, the actors took centrestage and we had MGR and Jayalalithaa using this platform to become important leaders,” points out actor Sarathkumar, who strongly believes that his social consciousness made him a politician and founder of AISMK. He recently merged his partywith the BJP.
But this fame does bring in its own set of advantages in politics. The crowds gather to hear stars speak at political rallies and rush in for selfies. “The audience can never be your vote bank. Fame might bring crowds, but trust wins you votes,” points out a pragmatic Khusbhoo, who is now more a politician than an actor. “Being an actor, you already have the all-important connection with the audience. Initially, they might be starstruck, but it fades away if they warm up to you as a person and not a star. It is a long process, but we have to work hard on it if we are serious about a political career,” she adds.
The magnetism of power is alluring to all, even the ones who have achieved dizzying levels of superstardom. This also means that the celebrities shifting bases are subject to incessant criticism. It is safe to say that hardworking functionaries of various parties might not be happy about cinema stars swooping in and holding important posts within the party. In fact, their support might be begrudging at best. Probably why, despite the legacy shared by Tamil cinema and politics, politicians often see cinema with some condescension stemming perhaps from envy.
Sarathkumar has a riposte. “Any individual can enter politics. When you get in, you need to become more responsible. I look at politics as an extension of social service, and if doctors, lawyers, and engineers can become politicians, why not actors?” asks Sarathkumar. “But yes, we can make laws in the country laying down some basic criteria to become politicians.” The actor-politician quickly clarifies that he is referring to social qualifications, not educational qualifications. “Have you done anything for the system? Have you done social service? Did you conduct drives for the betterment of your locality? Were you involved in disaster management in your neighbourhood at least? A politician must think of people's suffering, and how it can be alleviated.”
It is also particularly insightful to see how stars swoop in and change the narrative of electoral politics frequently. If Sivaji Ganesan’s oscillating equation with DMK was an important story, we also had Karunanidhi’s attempt to prop son MK Muthu as an alternative to MGR.
Though Karunanidhi didn’t really find much success in his bid to make Muthu a bonafide star in Tamil cinema, his grandson Udhayanidhi Stalin had an extended run as a hero in the industry. Even if his initial films propped him as a no-frills star in breezy entertainers, Udhayanidhi took on serious roles just before he entered electoral politics in 2021. A string of films that spoke about social evils like caste discrimination and systemic oppression primed his entry into politics. Soon after, Udhayanidhi announced his retirement from acting after the 2023 film, Maamannan, to concentrate on his political career. If the late actor-politician Vijayakant’s entry into Tamil politics was an important turn, Rajinikanth’s ‘will-he-wont-he’ see-sawing in politics became a story for the ages.
Out of nowhere, Kamal Haasan one-upped his long-time friendly rival by launching a political party. We also have filmmaker Seeman’s political party creating an impact in the narrative, and many other actors being affiliated with the various parties like DMK, AIADMK, Congress, and BJP to create a space for themselves within the crowded political stage of Tamil Nadu.
And now, Vijay, at the peak of his superstardom, has announced his political entry. Weighing in on the major difference between an actor and a politician, Khushbhoo, who has weathered many a storm in both roles, says, “Being a politician isn’t just another role you are playing. Even if you are a great actor, people will know you are fake if you don’t truly believe in what you say.”
Meanwhile, writer-producer G Dhananjeyan throws the ball back to the critics of actors turning politicians and asks a pertinent question. “Is there any party in India that doesn’t use cinema stars during elections, either as a candidate or a campaigner? If a particular actor joins party X, members of party Y will criticise him. If that actor joins party Y, X will criticise him. If the same actor starts party Z, X and Y will criticise him. This is hypocrisy. Politicians need stars to further their influence. Stars want politics too for more power and chances. It is all about popularity, power, and opportunity.”
The cinema-politics connection continues to endure, but structurally, there are changes. For instance, icons have taken over ideologies. While every film star brushes away the hunger for power, and claims it is the need to serve the people that brought them to politics, the only true judge of this statement is time—and of course, a rigorous study of our society. To tweak English writer Samuel Johnson’s famous words —“Politics is the last refuge of a superstar.”
No-frills star to serious roles
Though DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi didn’t really find much success in his bid to make his son MK Muthu a bonafide star in Tamil cinema, his grandson Udhayanidhi Stalin had an extended run as a hero in the industry. His initial films propped him as a no-frills star in breezy entertainers, but Udhayanidhi took on serious roles just before he entered electoral politics in 2021.
A string of films that spoke about social evils primed his entry into politics. Udhayanidhi announced his retirement from acting after the 2023 film, Maamannan, to concentrate on his political career.
First artiste to enter legislature
Despite legendary Congress leader and former chief minister K Kamaraj’s disapproval of the Dravidian party’s usage of cinema for propaganda, the first film artiste to enter the legislature in Independent India was a Congress nominee — KB Sundarambal.
Known as the ‘Queen of the Indian stage,’ she was a political activist during freedom struggle. She was also the first person in the Indian film industry to receive a paycheque for a sum of Rs 1 lakh.