The movie world is famous for prequels and sequels. Rajinikanth’s promised entry into politics has run in a similar vein, although here a sequel has come 21 years after he once intervened to denounce J. Jayalalithaa’s government as corrupt, and come up with his famous one-liner: “God alone can save Tamil Nadu”. This had a dramatic effect then as Jaya was trounced in the 1996 polls, but it took over 20 years more before her guilt was firmly established in a graft case, only after she had passed on. In her passing, many see an opportunity, and perhaps it’s no coincidence that the superstar dropped his strongest hint yet about preparing for the political fray.
Tamil Nadu’s politics, of course, is sorely in need of fresh ideas and faces. M. Karunanidhi, 93 in a fortnight, seems well past the age of actively taking part in politics or governance. Rajini promises to bring in honesty if and when he enters politics. His typical filmi style may be marked by earthy dialogues with a punch, but in his political entry, Rajini appears cagey and vague. His latest comment is subject to different interpretations, but it does appear Tamil Nadu’s politics could take another sensational twist if indeed another filmstar forays into the battle of the ballot, that has been known to favour legends of the screen. The question is whether Rajini will finally take the plunge, or not. Even for an evergreen hero, who still romances on screen, time may be running out. It’s now or never.
