Chennai Corner

The Illayathalapathi meets the Yuvraj

It does not get bigger than this. With “superstar” Rajnikanth vacillating about politics (even his loyal fans are disillusioned), the man many see as his inheritor in Kollywood – Illayathalapathi (young general) Vijay – has been making sure-footed political moves. And that was noticed by the Congress “Yuvraj”, who has embarked on a mission to rejuvenate the moribund Congress in the state. So before you can say Azhagiri (whose recent talent has been poaching rival cadre), Rahul Gandhi and Vijay had a tête-à-tête at the former’s residence in Delhi on August 25. 

Will the meeting see Vijay being Rahul Gandhi’s pointsman for the youth Congress in TN? Vijay has already shown his inclination to have links with the Congress when he attended a rally last Sunday with the Puducherry Congress CM V Vaithilingam. And he’s not hiding either the Puducherry or the Rahul Gandhi meetings. “Yes, I met Rahulji and discussed politics in the state,” he says.

But when asked whether he will join the Congress, Vijay says: “I am strengthening the Vijay Makkal Iyyakam (Vijay People’s Movement).” He’s more guarded about other plans. But, like Rahul Gandhi, he is focusing on the youth and had ten kids aged 12 to 20 peppering him with questions at his Puducherry show. He quoted one of his icons, former President A P J Abdul Kalam to the youth: Studies should be a priority, and finding jobs here rather than abroad should be a focus.

Of politics and crocodiles

It was only on July 26 that 36-year-old Vijay launched the Iyakkam in Pudukottai. “I promise that I will launch a political party if things turn out well,” Vijay told his screaming fans urging them to join the movement.

“Politics is like an ocean. It has big crocodiles. When I entered films with the help of my father S A Chandrasekaran, it was not an easy journey. It took so many struggles to reach where I am now. Politics, too, will be tough,” he said. But he told his fans that he will gauge the response to his movement and if satisfied, he will plunge into politics.

A flag is ready if he wants to convert that, like Vijaykanth did, into a party flag. In fact even as a certain Barrack Obama rode into the White House on the momentum of the slogan “You Can”, Vijay launched a flag that said “Unnal Mudiyam” (You Can) here on June 22, last year, which also happened to be his birthday. Launching the flag at the 15th anniversary of his fan association called “Illayathalapathi Vijay Rasigar Narpani Mandram”, Vijay had said, “The flag is only a symbol of my fan association. Floating a political party and going to the people is not an easy thing.” The flag was white with a light blue circle in the middle which has Vijay with an outstretched hand saying “Unnal Mudiyum”.

With 47,000 fan associations all over the state, surely Vijay can, if he wants to, because he has a readymade base. He’s also upfront unlike a certain Superstar, “I will not say I have no desire to enter politics. Someday I will. At the moment, these are my baby steps and I strongly believe that one has to do an apprenticeship course before trying to master something.”

Incidentally, his next release Vettaikaran, which suffered a setback when its sets were burnt in a fire at AVM studios recently, is set for a Diwali release. “My son Sanjay danced with me for a song in the film”, says Vijay who is married to a Sri Lankan Tamil. In fact, he went on a fast to protest atrocities on Sri Lankan Tamils, around the time when every politician in the state claimed their heart bled for their brethren in the emerald isle, in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election.

Thaw in Vijayakanth

So does Vijay’s meeting with Rahul have anything to with actor turned politician Vijaykanth of the DMDK changing his stand about aligning with the Congress?

In the 2006 assembly elections, the DMDK stunned one and all by capturing 8.33 per cent of the total votes and one seat. In the May 2009 Lok Sabha election, it did better by getting 10 per cent of the total votes but no seat. In the recent by-elections, the DMDK mopped up most of the anti-AIADMK and the pro-AIADMK votes and ended up with 21.5 per cent of the votes.

A nice birthday gift for DMDK leader Vijaykanth who turned 57 on August 25. But despite the good showing recently, largely because the AIADMK boycotted the bypoll, Vijaykanth may be coming to terms with the fact that he can make his dream of becoming chief minister come true only with an alliance. Since the DMK or AIADMK are not going to let him take precedence in any alliance, his best bet is the Congress.

So, does the fact that his “long time friends” Congress leaders E V K S Elangovan and Mohammed Aaroon – and later Karti Chidambaram – dropping in on him to wish him, of any significance? At first he was evasive saying alliances are only decided at election-time, but when pressed, he said “Let the Congress come.”

Of course, currently the Congress has an alliance with the DMK, but many Congress MLAs are chafing at the bit that their partner not only calls the shots here, but also in Delhi. Vijaykanth, with no toehold in Delhi, might be easier to manipulate. But for that the Congress will have to unite. The truth is that pigs will fly before that happens, but that’s another story.

The Midas Touch

Actors dabbling in politics is not a new phenomenon in Tamil Nadu. If anything an actor not turning to politics makes news. So it is with Kamal Hassan, who’s just 55, but has been on the silver screen for 50 years. One charming photo at “Kamal Express” – the two buses with photographs and documentaries of the actor which will travel across the state this week – at AVM Studios is one of Sivaji Ganesan carrying a five-year-old Kamal Hassan.

But Kamal is not one to rest on his laurels. “My first thought when they suddenly popped this number of 50 at me, was ‘Oh, I wasted so much time.’ I simply want to do more,” Kamal says.

And he’s going to because he’s got daughter Shruti Hassan, who "lucked" out in her debut in Bollywood, scoring the music for Unnai Pol Oruvan (Someone like you) which has been inspired by the critically-acclaimed Bollywood hit  A Wednesday.” What’s more she has got her dad to sing too, although this is not the first time that Kamal is singing for himself.

An Inspiration

Speaking of Sivaji Ganesan, he was quite an inspiration for actors. Rajnikanth remembers that in 1979, when he started his career after putting his job as a bus conductor on hold, he rode on his scooter to the Nadigar Sangham to watch the thespian in Ashok Chakravarthi but was only allowed in after much begging and pleading. Speaking at the eight-day drama festival of the sangham, Rajni said, “It was the stage that taught me the nuances of acting.”