The movies in which they starred together were some of the all time hits in Tamil. Even when both of them declared their political dreams in 2018, nobody in Tamil Nadu had thought that they would join hands to forge an alliance to fight the election.
Rajnikanth and Kamal Haassan were two different poles of Tamil films as well as cultural sphere. While Rajnikanth was known for his mannerisms and style, Kamal Haassan projected himself as a total actor of global standards, though he was no different from the former in style and substance.
When Kamal Haassan as the early bird in launching his political outfit Makkal Neethi Meiam, Rajnikanth choose to play the wait and watch game. Haassan went to the extent of taunting and ridiculing Rajnikanth from all available platforms for the latter’s soft approach towards Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Kamal Haassan went to the extent of lambasting the Hindutva party and declared himself as a secularist to the core.
Though the candidates fielded by him finished poor fourth and fifth in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Kamal Haassan did not lose heart and declared that he would stage a come back by taking up public issues. But when six of his top rung leaders deserted him and joined the BJP, the actor saw the writing on the wall that politics was a different game and he needed extra adrenalin to take his rivals head on.
He made an announcement recently that he would not hesitate to join hands with Rajnikanth for the sake of Tamil Nadu. In a State which is looking for a third alternative other than the AIADMK and the DMK, the announcement by Haassan and the warm welcome accorded to it by Rajnikanth was a once-in-a-lifetime development. The political narration of Tamil Nadu has undergone a change with the declaration of the film stars to work together.
Though the DMK leadership is yet to go public with the party’s reaction to the coming together of the two super stars, the AIADMK has pooh-poohed the development as the script of a Tamil potboiler. “Rajnikanth is yet to launch his political outfit while Kamal haassan was taught a lesson by the Tamil Nadu voters in the Lok Sabha election.
It is not that easy to launch a political party, sustain it and win election,” said Udaya Kumar, Tamil Nadu Minister for revenues.
Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami was more aggressive in his reaction. “Both Rajanikanth and Kamal Haassan would meet the fate of Shivaji Ganeshan, the super star of yesteryears who had to bite the dust following the rejection of his party by the Tamil Nadu electorate.It is not easy for film actors to establish as mass leaders like M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, two persons known for their charisma and not by the image of super stars,” said Palaniswamy while reacting to the developments.
While the CPI general secretary Muthrasan said he found nothing unusual in the coming together of the stars , he pointed out that Rajnikanth was yet to launch his party. “He had said that his party would represent spiritual politics, Kamal Haassan is a known atheist. I dont know how spirituality and atheism could coexist,” said Mutharasan.
If the reaction of mainstream political parties are any indication, it coud be said that the announcemnt has rattled them. But the questions being asked is how Rajnikanth’s soft Hindutwa an Haassan’s rationalist ideology could co-exist. Rajnikant’s political party is taking shape in the green room and is expected for release in time for the 2021 assembly election. One of the movies featuring the two stars was Ninithal Enikkum (Tamil for Sweet to Remember). Whether their political journey too would be an event which will bring back sweet memories is a question to be answered in the next two years