DMK pulls off coup: Kamal Haasan on stage, Rajinikanth in audience

Superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, attended an event organised by the state's main opposition party, the DMK. Kamal Haasan was seated on stage with party leaders including MK Stalin; while Rajinikanth sat in front-row VIP, further fuelling speculation about their taking the political plunge.

Haasan was seated on the stage along with DMK Working President MK Stalin, who had backed him amid a strident attack by Tamil Nadu ministers for being critical of the government, and other senior party leaders.

Rajinikanth, however, chose to sit in the front row at the function organised to celebrate the 75 years of the founding of DMK mouthpiece 'Murasoli.'

The participation of the two veteran actors, who have a large fan following, at the DMK event assumes significance in view of their recent statements suggesting that they could be joining politics.

Besides Rajinikanth, former cricket board chief and India Cements chairman N Srinivasan and popular yesteryear actor Prabhu, son of late thespian Sivaji Ganesan, were among others who attended the 'Murasoli' celebrations.

Haasan has taken on the ruling AIADMK (Amma) government head on over alleged corruption. Several state ministers had attacked Hassan, who had last month asked his followers to use the social media to lodge graft complaints, and questioned the contribution of his fan clubs to the welfare of the people of the state.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami had asked the national award winning actor to take the political plunge to get proper response.

Since 1967, the state polity has been dominated by the two Dravidian parties -- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) -- and their top leaders have been closely associated with cinema.

PTI