Takes more than stardom in politics: Rajini on Kamal
CHENNAI: It is beginning to look all too familiar and a little tiring.
Tamil cinema’s superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan on Sunday again talked politics, dropped broad hints about taking the plunge but, like the previous times, stopped short of making the big announcement.
Tamil Nadu has been battling political uncertainty after CM and ruling AI AD MK chief JJayalalithaa, also a successful actor, died on December 5.
The ruling party has been hit by factionalism and there is a political vacuum in the state, which the two stars are believed to be eyeing.
On Sunday, the two men sat next to each other at a government function to inaugurate the Shivaji Ganeshan memorial – Ma ni Manda pam, honour in gan icon of Tamil cinema. They exchanged pleasantries but when they gave their speeches, Rajinikanth took a dig at Haasan.
“It takes more than star dom to be successful in politics ,”66- yearold Rajinikanth said.“Ka mal knows what is needed, I don’t. Maybe he would have told me that two months back. Now, he tells me to come along with him .”
The62-year-oldHaasanhasin the recent weeks stolen an apparent march over Rajinikanth. He visited Kerala chief minister and veteran CPI (M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan and declared, “Left leaders are my heroes, I am certainly not saffron.’’ He followed it up with a meeting with Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal.
The BJP has been wooing Rajinikanth, without much success. Top leaders of party and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, are sure Rajinikanth will enter politics but with his own outfit which will have an alliance with the BJP.
Rajinikanth, on his part, has stuck to talking in riddles about his political foray. “As a big fan (of Gan es han ), I would have come to the function even if I was not invited,” Haasan said, in a veiled reference to his rocky relationship with the state government.
Chief minister Eda pp a di K Palaniswami stayed away from the function, as he didn’t want to share the stage with Haasan, sources said.
Haasan could follow an A APlike model–launch a social movement that would eventually morph into a political party, sources close to him said. The A AP was born out of a stir against corruption. As the two seem to be headed on different political paths, their rivalry at the box office is set to be renewed.