Chennai: Actor Rajinikanth dropped yet another hint of a political plunge, perhaps the strongest till date, saying the “political system needs to be changed".
I have responsibilities and work, same as you. Let’s do that... but when the ultimate war comes, we will all see," said the 66-year-old.
On the last day of his meet-and-greet with fans in Chennai’s Kodambakam, the birthplace of Tamil cinema, the superstar also called himself a proud Tamizhan.
“My fans have made me a Tamizhan. I was a Kannadiga for 23 years of my life, but for the past 44, I have been a Tamizhan. You, the fans, have made me a Tamizhan," he said.
Rajini should stay out of politics. He has no idea or the qualification to be CM," said Swamy.
He, however, added that it was up to the BJP National Executive to decide on Rajini’s entry into the party and that state leaders have no role in the decision.
Rajinikanth, fondly called Rajini by his fans, is the actor’s screen name. His real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad. He was born in a Marathi family in Karnataka. He started working as a conductor in the Bangalore Transport Service and later shifted to Madras (now Chennai) and joined the Madras Film Institute to pursue a diploma in acting.
In an open interaction with his fans, Rajinikanth had said, “Right now God is using me as an actor, but I can’t say anything about the future. If God decides that I join politics, then I will do so."
With stalwarts like the late Jayalalithaa and ailing nonagenarian DMK supremo M Karunanidhi out of the picture in the current dispensation, Rajinikanth's fans believe he is the only one who can effectively fill the political vacuum.
Such a hysteria was witnessed even in 1996 when he openly defied Jayalalithaa, asking people not to vote for her.
In the ensuing political developments, he backed the DMK-TMC (Tamil Maanila Congress, led by the late G K Moopanar) combine, which also cashed in on the severe anti-incumbency against the ruling AIADMK.
Many political parties, barring AIADMK, had been wooing him. However, he was on good terms with Jayalalithaa in the recent past and had even rued he had 'hurt' her back in 1996 by being critical of her.
"My name has been dragged into politics for the past two decades. I am pushed to clarify during every election that I'm not affiliated to any political party," he had said early this week.
Tamil cinema has always had close links with politics, with matinee idols, the late MG Ramachandran (MGR) and J Jayalalithaa, besides script writer M Karunanidhi, having gone to rule the state.
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