CHENNAI: In an expected yet surprising move, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth announced his entry in the political arena, seeking to occupy the political space vacated by AIADMK's Jayalalithaa and DMK president M Karunanidhi. Following five days of interaction with fans, Rajini said he would float a political party that would contest all the 234 constituencies in the state. He began his speech by quoting a verse from Bhagavad Gita; “Put in your efforts. I will take care of the rest.”
The line was said by Karnan to Arjuna in Kurukshetra. Citing the incident where Arjuna hesitates entering the war, Thalaivar said, “Wage war. If you win, you will rule the country. If you are killed in war you will go to heaven. If you do not go to war they will call you a coward.” He added, “I have put in my efforts already. All that is left is to shoot the arrows. We will contest in all 234 assembly constituencies of TN. As the local body elections are already nearing, we do not have time to prepare. As for the 2019 general election, I will make a decision as per circumstances.”
Taking aim, Rajini said, “My political entry is confirmed. This is the need of the hour.” He called for an honest and transparent system of governance to erase corruption and practice “spiritual politics”. He took on the ruling AIADMK without naming it. “Political developments in the past year have brought shame to the people here. In the olden days, when a king invaded a country, his men went about plundering the coffers. Generals and soldiers would loot the people on the losing side. Today, however, partymen, under the guise of democracy, are looting their own people,” he said.
The 67 year old asked all his fans to take the message to every street in every village of Tamil Nadu, “First, we must integrate the registered and unregistered fans associations and bring them under one umbrella. We must then prepare to face the election through democratic means. Until then, there is no need to criticise other politicians or hold agitations. There are many other already doing that.”
Rise from humble beginnings
Born in a Maratha family in Bangalore, Shivaji Rao Gaekwad was named after warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji. Following the completion of his school education, Rajini continued to work several jobs in the cities of Bangalore and Madras, only to end up as a bus conductor in the Bangalore Transport Service (BTS). A fan of the cinemas, he also participated in stage plays and was known for his quirky behaviour. Rajini later attended acting courses in the Madras Film Institute, only to be noticed by Tamil film director K Balachander. It was the filmmaker who advised him to speak Tamil, and the rest, as they say, is history.
His career in the movie industry took off in 1975, when he was given a relatively smaller role. He went on to do different roles, slowly and gradually making his way to the hearts of the mass. By 1990, Rajini was a star, and was worshipped by several fans. Breaking the glass ceiling, he went on to become the second highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan, after earning Rs 26 Crore in 2007 for his mega-hit 'Sivaji'.
Thalaivar off to a super start: 50,000 join his movement
Just two days after launching his political movement, over 50,000 people have already registered as members on the Rajini Mandram website and mobile app. He is not the first film actor to move across to politics. Chief Ministers Jayalalithaa, Karunanidhi, MG Ramachandran, and Annadurai were all from the film industry, before they drifted to the power play.
Caution to confrontation
The Bharatiya Janata Party was effectively the only prospective opponent to welcome the announcement. While DMK remained silent, Tamil nationalist outfit Naam Tamizhar criticised the actor for his non-Tamil roots. Dear friend Amitabh Bachchan welcomed his move of joining politics by sharing a picture of the star with a caption that read, “My dear friend, my colleague and a humble considerate human, RAJNIKANTH, announces his decision to enter politics .. my best wishes to him for his success !!”
“Bring all those around you to the association, be it the young, the old, the illiterate, or the educated. I do not want cadres. I want guardians capable of questioning erring legislators, officials and even partymen. I will just be a representative of the people who will supervise these guardians,” Rajini said.
