Last Update: January 27, 2023, 3:40 PM IST
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan (left) with Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. (Twitter @ikamalhaasan)
Haasan’s dwindling resources and time for his political journey may take him to a larger alliance like the DMK
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has announced his support to the DMK-led alliance for the Erode seat, which is going to polls following the demise of Congress MLA Thirumagan Evra.
Of all the political developments going on in Tamil Nadu, Haasan was perhaps the most unexpected. the reason? He had a new party—Makkal Needhi Maiam—which contested the 2019 parliamentary elections. While the party’s constituency was largely urban—dropped out after an initial 3.4 percent lead—the man himself proved to be an enigma. Haasan lent his voice to political issues, but appeared serious about keeping his celluloid ambitions alive.
Haasan’s recent hit Vikram, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and distributed by Red Giant Movies, resurfaced after a weak string of sub-optimal performances at the box office.
After all, Haasan was in his spirits.
With his Bigg Boss reality show going well, it was anyone’s guess whether Haasan was really rubbing his brains for his political journey.
Looking at his recent moves, the ace actor may be going over the edge: Haasan has said he will support Congress candidate EVKS Elangovan in the bypolls.
Again, there could have been two reasons behind this move. Haasan had recently participated in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Judging by his interactions with Gandhi, it appeared that the cross-country walkathon had captured the imagination of Haasan, among millions of others.
The second reason, perhaps, hits closer to home. Haasan’s dwindling resources and time for his political journey may take him with a larger alliance like the DMK.
Still, the move contrasts with his earlier statements about the two Dravidian parties and why he would not link his truck with either of them: he did not want to ‘grease his palms’.
Haasan’s party is technically throwing its weight behind a Congress candidate, who is undoubtedly part of the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu. Obviously, there is no doubt as to who is the Big Brother in that alliance – the DMK.
For Haasan, the backlash from his statement (about ‘not greasing your palms’) ahead of the 2019 elections should be the least of his worries.
In politics, public memory is short, despite repeated nuggets of reminders by social media handles. The big question ahead for Haasan is where is his party, Makkal Needhi Maiam, headed? And whether he has any plans for the party, which will celebrate its fifth anniversary in February.
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