Fans Try To Nudge Rajinikanth Into Politics

Fans of Rajinikanth have called for a meeting on April 2 triggering speculation of a possible political move.

Just a day ago, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth wrote an open letter saying `good things will happen’. That was to his Sri Lankan fans after he was forced to cancel a trip to Sri Lanka.

But will good things happen on April 2? Now, in a surprise move, fans of Rajinikanth have called for a consultative meeting on April 2 and they hope that the superstar will attend the meet.

The meeting of the Rajinikanth Fans Association has been convened for “consultations,” but in the wake of a huge void developing after the demise of J Jayalalithaa, the meeting assumes added significance.

Tamil Nadu is agog with speculations that the actor will be once again persuaded to take the political plunge, a demand which he has been resisting all along. This time too he may not oblige because the time for such a plunge has long passed by.

Moreover, unlike MGR or NTR, Rajinikanth is very reluctant to get his feet wet in the muddy political waters of Tamil Nadu.

He is also not a favourite among a large chunk of politically conscious people of Tamil Nadu as he failed to issue a statement on the Jallikattu issue or the Cauvery water row.

But for long, the fans have been urging the actor to join politics. Political parties, notably the BJP, have tried to woo him in view of his mass appeal.

The coming meeting was likely to be on the scale of the 2009 interaction of all the district functionaries of the fans association.

But a functionary of the Rajinikanth Fans Association said that the “meeting” was just of the office-bearers and there was nothing more to it.

Another functionary speaking on condition of anonymity said such a meeting involving office-bearers of all districts had last happened in 2009 after the success of his movie “Sivaji.”

“Such a meeting is long pending. We have been requesting it for long,” the office-bearer said.

Asked whether Rajinikanth would address the fans, he said “It is our expectation that he would come.”

Though the April 2 meeting is sought to be given a political colour, the superstar has always steered clear of entering politics. The meeting also comes ahead of the hype being generated for his new movie 2.0 being directed by Shankar.

Even recently after film music director and BJP candidate for the April 12 R K Nagar assembly byelection Gangai Amaran met him, Rajinikanth clarified he was supporting none in the polls.

The superstar had in 1996 supported the DMK-Tamil Maanila Congress combine which went onto sweep the assembly elections then, defeating Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK.