The latest face-off between Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and actor Allu Arjun over the stampede at Sandhya Theatre on December 5 has begun to indicate indicators of de-escalation, with conciliatory statements and compensation for the sufferer’s household.
The outpour of sympathy and help for the household of the 39-year-old mom who tragically died, and her nine-year-old son who survived life-threatening accidents, is heartening. One can solely hope that as a society, we take collective accountability to stop such stampedes—notably these attributable to the frenzy surrounding movie stars and film releases.
That stated, the Arjun vs. Reddy battle mirrors a well-recognized narrative in southern Indian politics: the conflict between a star and a strong politician. This story has performed out quite a few occasions, each within the political area and in movie scripts. In real-world politics, historical past exhibits that it’s usually unwise for politicians to antagonise stars, particularly these on the peak of their recognition.
MGR vs Karunanidhi
The primary notable instance from Tamil Nadu the place a politician who took on a star misplaced the battle is the defining story of Dravidian politics. The late Chief Minister and DMK patriarch, M. Karunanidhi, antagonised the enormously widespread M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), an actor who had an enormous following.
MGR labored carefully with Karunanidhi in movies and was a part of the DMK, which was based by former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, or ‘Anna’. When Anna handed away whereas in workplace in 1969, Karunanidhi took over as Chief Minister and president of the DMK. A rift with MGR adopted, resulting in a break up within the get together. MGR went on to kind his personal get together, the All India Anna DMK (AIADMK), and never solely defeated Karunanidhi’s DMK but in addition stored him out of energy till his dying in 1987.
Whereas there have been many different elements at play, together with the declaration of emergency, it was essentially the narrative of MGR’s persecution that fuelled the rise of the AIADMK. This emotional connection helped maintain Karunanidhi and his DMK out of energy in successive elections, until MGR was alive.
Rajnikanth vs. Jayalalithaa, 1996
In 1996, the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa—MGR’s successor and a preferred actor who took over the AIADMK—had a face-off with famous person Rajnikanth. The friction between the 2 leaders, who have been neighbours in Chennai’s posh Poes Backyard space, escalated when Rajnikanth publicly declared that “even God couldn’t save the state if Jayalalithaa got here again to energy”.
Within the 1996 elections, the AIADMK was decisively routed, with even Jayalalithaa shedding her seat. There have been a number of causes for this defeat and Rajnikanth’s assertion contributed to the ambiance, however the episode serves as a reminder {that a} public confrontation with a strong star isn’t advantageous for a politician in Dravidian politics.
Though Rajnikanth by no means formally entered politics, he made a movie in 1998, Padayappa, the place the antagonist was a lady—interpreted by many as a veiled reference to the ousted Jayalalithaa. Within the years that adopted, there was a reconciliation between the 2, with Rajnikanth remaining formally apolitical, although he sporadically made statements in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) till Jayalalithaa’s dying.
NTR In Telugu politics, Rajkumar In Karnataka
On this planet of Telugu politics, it was the most well-liked star of the time, NT Rama Rao (NTR), who toppled the Congress in 1983. Whereas there was no narrative of the “persecution of the star” within the meeting battle again then, NTR capitalised on a story of the Congress hurting Telugu satisfaction. This political victory nonetheless contributes to the stereotype of star energy in Southern politics.
Usually, political leaders in Telugu, Tamil and even Kannada politics have treaded rigorously when coping with stars. For instance, in Karnataka, Kannada famous person Rajkumar, who stayed away from politics all through his life, performed a major position within the Gokak agitation for the Kannada language within the early Nineteen Eighties. This motion contributed to the defeat of the then Congress Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao and the Janata Celebration’s victory within the 1983 state elections.
Whereas not all stars have been profitable in politics, there are sufficient historic classes for southern politicians to keep away from friction with a star—particularly one on the peak of his recognition.
What Reddy Can Study From Stalin
At the moment, Tamil Nadu is witnessing the rise of actor Vijay along with his political get together. Though Vijay has been essential of the ruling DMK, Chief Minister Stalin has kept away from partaking in a disagreement. Stalin has even instructed his get together, together with his son and Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi, to keep away from getting concerned in a public dispute.
Having been a witness to the historical past of Dravidian politics because the late Karunanidhi’s aide, Stalin understands that politically attacking a star solely boosts his or her mass enchantment and affect.
Whereas the Arjun Vs Reddy controversy is not electoral in nature—at the very least not but—it stays unclear how such a public confrontation erupted in Hyderabad, given the deeply intertwined world of politics and cinema. With shut connections, together with household linkages, it is arduous to imagine this was purely in regards to the stampede. Regardless of the causes, historical past is a reminder for Revanth Reddy to keep away from star-studded confrontations sooner or later.
(TM Veeraraghav is Government Editor, NDTV)
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