Tamils politics and Tamil cinema have been inseparable for many decades in Tamil Nadu. Every single move of Tamil movie stars, many of whom openly harbour political aspirations, is interpreted as a political statement with an eye on their own political future.
On April 6, supporters of political parties began interpreting the colour of masks worn by actor Ajith Kumar and actor Vijay riding a bike to the polling station to decipher possible political messages.
DMK supporters claimed that Mr. Ajith was wearing a ‘black mask with a red thread’ to show his subtle support for the DMK and that Mr. Vijay drove a bicycle to show his opposition to BJP for rising fuel prices. After being mobbed by fans, Mr. Ajith snatched a phone from a fan who tried to click a selfie as he was waiting at the polling station. The video went viral.
The biggest of all stars, actor Rajinikanth, who announced that he would start a party and contest all 234 assembly constituencies in 2021 State Assembly Elections but decided not to take a plunge, cast his vote on April 6 simply as a quiet voter. As usual, the camerapersons and lensmen tried to get a picture of Mr. Rajinikanth voting for his choice of candidate. However, they were prevented.
Mr. Rajinikanth’s close friend and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan cast his vote in Eldams Road and then flew to Coimbatore. There were other celebrities who weren’t that subtle – director Lokesh Kanagaraj, who is directing Mr. Kamal Haasan’s Vikram next, posted a selfie showing the index finger with Aboorva Sagodharargal playing on the television.
Actor Sathyaraj posted a picture of himself with Periyar’s photo in the background. After voting, actor Vijay Sethupathi said that he would always speak against ‘religious and casteist’ forces.
