TN waits for Kamal Haasan

Tamil actor Kamal Haasan may have dropped the biggest hint yet that he’s ready to enter politics, with a sustained thematic attack on the Right, asserting Hindu terror does exist, and that political elements on that side are flexing muscles to contain their critics. His column of course does nothing for either side of the argument — whether such a thing as Hindu terror exists, and whether terrorism can have any religion. His posturing on issues clearly signals which side of the political divide he’s is likely to position himself when he makes a formal entry. Tamil Nadu has seen at least five people from a movie background, including three actors, ascend the throne at Fort St. George, so Kamal may well feel his cinematic popularity would give him an edge.

Success in capturing power is by no means guaranteed, but Kamal is at least seen actively exploring the possibility of a political splash in the vacuum left by J. Jayalalithaa. The same isn’t true for Rajinikanth, a matinee idol with greater mass popularity, who seems to take two steps back after each step forward. Having first played the role of a crusader with a promise to fight corruption in the mould of AAP leaders, Kamal may be steering a harsher course in an ideological direction. He may have decided he’s not in it to win a popularity contest, but to bring about the change everyone speaks of. However, it’s possible his stand on contentious issues facing society could make him more enemies than friends. At the moment he’s just making waves as a celebrity.