It has all ingredients of a Kollywood movie: heroes and villains, comedians, punchlines and plenty of slapstick. The campaign for the 2011 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu is unfolding before the voters like the scenes of a new film with more and more actors entering the stage.
Film stars campaigning in elections is nothing new. But it is for the first time that it looks as if they have come forward to do it to settle personal scores. The DMK roped in comedian Vadivelu, whose success lies in his self-deprecation and his portrayal of a person with no brains, to take on actor and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Munnetra Kazham (DMDK) chief Vijayakant. Both hail from Madurai, the temple town of Tamil Nadu, and share a well-known animosity. Mr. Vadivelu readily agreed to the role assigned to him in real life not out of any great love for the ruling party, but because it gave him an opportunity to puncture the action hero's macho image which he could not think of doing in films.
In 2008, Mr. Vadivelu's home and office were attacked by a group of assailants and the comedian had accused Mr. Vijayakant of instigating the violence. A year ago the police had filed a complaint against Mr. Vadivelu and Vijayakant's manager Sathish Kumar following a quarrel over parking of vehicles outside the comedian's house. A case is pending in the court.
The actors have been scripting their own dialogues for the campaign. The punchlines — funny or offensive depending upon which side of the political fence you're sitting on — have become a campaign talking point. Neeya Captain? Dhonithan Captain. Captain Dhoni. Nee Chani. — (You the captain? Dhoni's the captain, you're just dung) — Mr. Vadivelu was seen ridiculing Mr. Vijayakant after India won the cricket World Cup. (Vijayakant was the hero of the film Captain Prabhakaran , and the word Captain became an honorific like Puratchi Thalivar for MGR and Kalaignar for Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi).
Mr. Vadivelu also takes potshots at Mr. Vijayakant saying: Thanniyil Pora kappalukku captain. Thanni Adikiravan Captaina . (A ship can have a captain, but the man who drinks?, a play on the Tamil word thanni , which stands for both water and liquor).
Though Mr. Vijayakant is ignoring Mr. Vadivelu, the AIADMK has brought in Singamuthu, another comedian and a friend-turned-foe of Mr. Vadivelu. They did a lot of movies together before parting ways both in the tinsel world and in real life over land disputes.
In his campaign Mr. Singamuthu is targeting his former friend saying he has no locus standi to criticise Mr. Vijayakant because Mr. Vadivelu himself was a drunkard. Mr. Vijaykant who pulverizes the villains in his movies was seen beating his own candidate in Dharmapuri in full public view. A few satellite channels telecast the footage of that incident. Satellite channels also showed video clippings of Mr. Vijayakant saying: Ungalay aapu adikka, naan half adikkanun (To nail you, I need a half bottle)
