Is Kaala the ‘real-life’ political avatar of Rajinikanth?

Political analysts say it would be wrong to think that Kaala movie depicts the real-life avatar of Rajinikanth.

Chennai, June 7: It is a well-known fact that Tamil Nadu (for that matter the entire south India) is crazy about movies and film actors are nothing less than demigods for the fans.

Rajinikanth, the 67-year-old actor-turned-politician, is one such superstar who has been ruling the hearts of movie-goers for several years now. The release of any Rajinikanth movie is akin to a big festival as fans wait in long queues to watch his films, first day first show, at theatres.

The action thriller, Kaala, which was released across the world on Thursday, is a much-awaited release of Rajinikanth after he announced his entry into politics early this year.

The subject of the film is political in nature, although Rajinikanth himself denied it saying "Kaala is not a political film, film has politics in it" and thus many believe that through it the actor-politician is trying to give a hint of his real-life political avatar through reel-life portrayal of a gangster from Dharavi slum in Mumbai.

Ahead of its release, Kaala, witnessed a slew of controversies, all political in nature, not because of the plot of the film but mostly due to political remarks made by the protagonist of the film, Rajinikanth, in real life.

Be it his controversial stand to support police firing during the anti-Sterlite protest in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu which led to the death of 13 persons last month or his remarks on sharing of Cauvery river water between the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Kaala came under scanner because of Rajinikanth's opinions.

While the release of the film in Karnataka was stalled because of protest by pro-Kannada groups, in spite of the Supreme Court's directive to release it, in Tamil Nadu the fans have given a thumbs-up to the film.

Political analysts say it would be wrong to think that Kaala movie depicts the real-life avatar of Rajinikanth. "The actor-politician has been already labelled as a pro-BJP man, thanks to his pro-government stand on almost all issues. In Kaala, the protagonist is a rebel and anti-establishment. So to mix both reel and real life of Rajinikant will be a big mistake," a film critic told OneIndia.

A few months ago, Rajinikanth announced his formal entry into politics. He is yet to come up with the name of his party or symbol. It is not yet clear whether Rajinikanth will fight elections in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls or he would wait for the Assembly polls in the state scheduled in 2021.