Tamil Nadu is among the few States in the country where film actors never shy away from plunging into the world of politics in the hope of becoming Chief Minister of the State one day. However, the successes scripted by M.G. Ramachandran, M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa cannot be fully attributed to their association with the tinsel world. Their allegiance to the Dravidian movement and its ideology, coupled with a direct connect with the masses at the grass-root level, played a pivotal role in their emergence as forces to reckon with.
Now that actor Kamal Haasan has evinced greater interest in joining politics, one cannot say with certainty that people will back him and ensure his success in politics. His criticism of the ruling party may not have gone down well with the people as well. Unlike cinema, electoral politics is a different game altogether where muscle and money have to be taken into account (“I have arrived in politics”, says Kamal”, September 16).
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
The political confusion in Tamil Nadu seems to be spurring those watching from the sidelines to jump into the fray. Forming a new party is an option for Mr. Haasan, but there are bound to be many hurdles. He has a fan following which can be expected to work hard for him in an election. Though he is a fabulous actor, he will have to work on his image, especially among the educated middle class. The Congress has been surviving by joining hands with one Kazhagam or the other. As the old guard has rested its oars, this party offers him an opportunity to take control of it. He should therefore join the party and launch his bid from here.
S. Rajagopalan,
Chennai
Kamal Haasan has set the sails of his political boat and it is premature to guess how his vessel would weather the uncharted territory. His declaration that his party would be funded by the poor sounds immature as that betrays his order of priorities. His celluloid roles seem to cast their spell on his political ambitions if his one-liners, quips, retorts and taunts to questions posed by the media are any indication.
No doubt he needs to be given time and space to adjust himself to the demands of his new role, but new entrants should be smart enough to remember the wise counsel of the DMK’s patriarch that all the cheers and applause one gets in a meeting may be deceptive as none can gauge how many hands that clap during a speech would actually vote for the party that the speaker campaigns for.
Sivamani Vasudevan,
Chennai
