MG Ramachandran (MGR) and J Jayalalithaa successfully translated cinematic charisma into political success. Otherwise, Tamil Nadu has largely seen failures from the field of cinema. Let's have a look at actors who either flopped in politics or didn't show the conviction to don the mantle of a change-maker.
Sivaji Ganesan sucked at grassroots political mobilization. More recently, Kamal Haasan’s intellectual approach (lol) and Vijayakanth’s initial surge eventually faced the harsh realities of the DMK-AIADMK dominance. Superstar Rajinikanth didn't even dare to make a start. He made an announcement in 2018 and did a U-Turn just days later. It was such a sham! Rajini is easily the most fickle-minded actor ever, and it's justified that he acts in ideological movies like Kaala and Vettaiyan just to feel good about his allegedly noble intentions.
All eyes are now on Vijay's TVK. If the young party secures just 10 or 20 seats, it will be seen as a PRP-like flop show. In the 2009 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, Chiranjeevi's party secured just 16 seats after so much hype. He couldn't become the kingmaker he was hoping to become.
But if TVK stuns everyone by securing 98-110 seats, as India's most credible polling agency (Axis My India) has predicted, he will have achieved what none of his Kollywood seniors and contemporaries could even dream of. MGR took 23 years to become Chief Minister after joining the DMK and eventually breaking away from it. He worked as a treasurer and an organizer for two decades. Vijay, on the other hand, is a kiddo in politics. Any score above 70 seats will make him an unmatched icon.
As per senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, Vijay enjoys a massive support among voters in the 20-25 age group. "Everyone I spoke to told me they want to give Vijay a chance," Sardesai shared on India Today.
