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Why Kamal Haasan is reaching out to Arvind Kejriwal

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TS Sudhir
TS SudhirSep 21, 2017 | 17:44

Why Kamal Haasan is reaching out to Arvind Kejriwal

Kamal Haasan knows the power of an interesting opening scene. The craft of creating intrigue, teasing the viewer. His decision to send his younger daughter Akshara Haasan to Chennai airport to receive Arvind Kejriwal, combined the Athithi Devo Bhava (a guest is equivalent to god) sentiment with sending across a political message - Arvind Kejriwal matters.

By choosing to break bread with Kejriwal, after having been treated to an Onam sadya by Pinarayi Vijayan at the Kerala chief minister's official residence in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this month, the actor is giving food for thought to those trying to second guess his mind.

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The lunch date at Kamal's Eldams Road office in Alwarpet was the second meeting between the actor and the Delhi chief minister in two years. But while the earlier meeting in Delhi in 2015 was related to films, this time, politics clearly was on the menu, with Kamal making it clear in the recent past that he is mulling a political plunge.

What has emerged from people close to the actor is that Kamal wants to start a political party though he is not keen on taking the electoral route. At least, not yet. What binds Kamal and Kejriwal is their anti-corruption crusader persona. Kamal sees himself in an Anna Hazare kind of mould and wants to be a political vigilante, raising his voice on issues concerning the common Tamilian and against political corruption in particular. 

Which then begs the question why is Kamal meeting Kejriwal and not Anna Hazare. Because Kamal realises that to make an impact, he has to dovetail his agitational approach into the politics of Tamil Nadu. Without doing that he will be reduced to being an NGO.

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The lunch date at Kamal's Eldams Road office in Alwarpet was the second meeting between the actor and the Delhi chief minister in two years.

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One of Kamal Haasan's superhit movies was Indian in 1996 which won him the National Award for Best Actor. In the movie, he plays 70-year-old Senapathy, who rubbed shoulders with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the Indian National Army. Fed up with corruption, he transforms into a vigilante, ultimately killing his own son, which he played himself. Author and professor of Film Studies K Hariharan believes Kamal wants to be a Senapathy minus the violent approach, someone who believes that you do not necessarily need to be elected to be a leader.

Over the past few months, Kamal has been using Twitter and his position as the host of the Bigg Boss show in Tamil to speak directly to people. What Kamal would want to know from Kejriwal, another leader with an ability to speak the language of the common man, is how to build an organisation. The actor has the advantage of having a 1.5 lakh-strong fan base but to expect that the clubs could automatically become the cadre of a political party would be naivety and political ignorance.

The fact that two chief ministers have taken out time to meet him, shows there is appreciation for his ability to connect with the people. What is likely to happen is that parties like the CPM and AAP could partner with Kamal and his Sena, to give him organisational heft.

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From Kamal's point of view, the tango with Kejriwal helps him position himself on the national stage. It helps him send across the message that while his karmabhoomi will be Tamil Nadu, his political footprints will be national. The fact that he has emphasised that his colour is not saffron, is not lost on anyone.

From Kejriwal's point of view, it makes a lot of political sense to ride on Kamal's popularity. The AAP's earlier effort to make inroads into Tamil Nadu in 2014 was marred by infighting and the local unit split into two camps. Kejriwal is now trying to write a fresh screenplay for AAP in Tamil Nadu. But that would not cast Kamal in the role of his Tamil Nadu unit president, as a Twitter poll has been suggesting.

At a brief post-lunch interaction with the media, Kejriwal said Kamal Haasan has great ideas and should join politics. Clearly in Turmoil Nadu, Kejriwal wants Kamal to know that a political version of Ek Duuje ke Liye is possible in 2017. And the AAP convener would be relieved to know that when he sings Hum Bane Tum Bane Ek Duuje ke Liye', Kamal is unlikely to say "I don't know what you say, I don't know don't know what you say".

Last updated: September 21, 2017 | 17:44
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