Opinion | From MGR To Vijay: How Cinema Shapes Tamil Politics

Vijay’s rise in politics has been nothing short of meteoric

The relationship between Tamil Nadu’s politics and its film industry is hardly new.

To follow Tamil politics, with all its drama and spectacle, is often like watching a political thriller unfold in real life. Nor is this phenomenon limited to Tamil Nadu. Across southern India, several film stars have entered politics, and many have gone on to become successful politicians.

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In Andhra Pradesh, N. T. Rama Rao emerged as a political figure comparable in stature to M. G. Ramachandran in Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka, actors ranging from M. P. Shankar to Ambareesh made the transition from cinema to public life.

Kerala, however, has been an exception. Film stars there have rarely managed to extend their influence beyond the politics of the industry itself. Growing up in Kerala, this was one way in which we distinguished ourselves from our neighbours.

Malayalis adored their film stars, and fan clubs for major actors were active across the state. But even the most devoted fans seemed to understand one thing: their screen heroes were unlikely to become successful politicians. But things were different in the other southern states. Major film stars often became major politicians, with people believing they would be eternal do-gooders in real life, just as they were on screen.

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa was among the last major stars in this tradition. She first became chief minister in 1991 and remained a dominant political presence until her death in office in 2016. By then, however, the film industry had changed considerably. So had the audience. Many believed that the fusion of cinema and politics had come to an end. Some argued that film stars and screen heroes had lost their appeal in the political arena; others suggested that Rajinikanth’s hesitation to enter politics reflected this shift.

That assumption, however, was proved wrong. Once again, figures from the film world, from Upendra in Karnataka to Pawan Kalyan in Andhra Pradesh, rose as significant political players. And now, Joseph Vijay, whose mass appeal can only be compared to that of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M. G. Ramachandran, has created ripples not just in Tamil Nadu politics, but also on the national stage.

Political messaging has been woven into Tamil cinema from its earliest days. It did not begin with M. G. Ramachandran, as many who are familiar with Tamil Nadu politics might assume. The very first Tamil talkie, Kalidas, released in 1931 at a pivotal moment in India’s freedom struggle, featured a song that had little to do with the film’s plot. “Gandhiyin Kairaattiname" was a song in praise of Mahatma Gandhi’s spinning wheel. The explicit use of cinema to convey political messages began with the very inception of Tamil cinema itself.

Though cinema was recognised as a medium for conveying political messages, the conservative political leadership largely refrained from tapping its potential. Cinema back then was a natural extension of popular plays and dance-dramas, and folk-arts were then looked down upon, and were considered crude, unpolished, and uncultured. According to senior politicians like C. Rajagopalachari, films were a “source of moral corruption". Though traditional politics and politicians did not approve of it, the potential of the medium quickly drew the attention of young parties that espoused revolutionary ideologies. In Kerala, theatrical movements such as the Kerala People’s Arts Club propagated communist ideas through dance-dramas and songs.

In a similar vein, in Tamil Nadu, C. N. Annadurai, a young film writer, founded the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam along with a group of film actors and writers, including the superstar M. G. Ramachandran. The DMK recognised cinema as a powerful instrument for political communication and mass........

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