Haasan, Kejriwal meet for lunch
Tamil film superstar Kamal Haasan on Thursday signed up Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as his mentor and guide to fight communalism and corruption.
In a joint press conference he addressed with his guest for lunch, Haasan said his meeting with Kejriwal was part of a learning curve as he was about to embark on a political journey. With this address, Haasan can be said to have now begun his political journey in the right earnest. But his close supporters said so far there was no clarity as to whether Haasan would start a movement first and then convert it into a political platform, something Kejriwal had done in Delhi.
“Kejriwal has a national image as a fighter against corruption and communalism. And for me it is a learning curve, meeting him and discussing national and state politics and wide range of issues,” said Haasan.
With these brief remarks, the superstar handed over the mic to Kejriwal, who said he was a fan of Haasan the actor as well as Haasan the man, who had tremendous integrity and courage. “We are at this point of time in the country when it is facing strong forces of communalism and corruption and it is important that like-minded people speak to each other,” Kejriwal said, adding that it was a very fruitful meeting and he had exchanged a few ideas with the actor.
Haasan pulled out all stops to welcome Kejriwal, who he has already met twice on previous occasions, and sent his daughter, Akshara, to receive him at the Chennai airport. After a photo session at Haasan’s residence, the leaders sat for a working lunch, after which they addressed the media. Kejriwal had arrived to call on Haasan and also visit a skill development centre that he wants to study in order to set up similar ones in Delhi.
Political observers, meanwhile, said though Haasan has been making political noises, he still must come out clearly before any assessment can be done.
The current political scenario in Tamil Nadu does not guarantee a successful opening to a film star as it used to in the past. MGR or Karunanidhi were backed by movements — they were also politically conscious and had cultivated their image in accordance with a political role even when they were working in films.
The same cannot be said about either Rajinikanth or Haasan, said Prof Ramu Manivannan of the Madras University. He also said that being a politician is a full-time job that the stars of today may or may not be equipped to deal with.