For many film stars in Tamil Nadu, politics may have lost allure

CHENNAI: EC has issued 684 'star campaigner' passes for LS polls in Tamil Nadu this time, but only a handful of them are filmstars. The few film personalities who figure on the list are also candidates or politicians - like BJP candidate Radika Sarathkumar and AIADMK's joint propaganda secretary Vindhya.
Actor Khushbu, who campaigned in 2019 (for Congress) and 2021 (for BJP), is unlikely to campaign this time as she is a member of National Commission for Women.In 2019, CPM's Madurai candidate Su Venkatesan attracted quite a few campaigners from Kollywood - actor Rohini Molleti, director Samuthirakanni, comedian Vaiyapuri and director Karu Palaniappan. This time, CPM sources said these people are yet to confirm their participation.
Khushbu was a star campaigner when she started her political career with DMK, drawing large crowds wherever she went. She said former DMK president M Karunanidhi groomed her. An AIADMK leader said during the time of J Jayalalithaa, the party used to pay star campaigners handsomely. But Khushbu said it was not about money. "Charismatic leaders like Kalaignar and Jayalalithaa would just call up big stars and none could refuse," she said. "I think actors today want to keep away from political controversies. After the backlash that Vadivel and Simran faced, many want to play it safe."
Khushbu was referring to the virtual boycott from Tamil film industry faced by Vadivel, once the busiest comedian in Kollywood, after he campaigned against Vijayakant, who was part of the AIADMK alliance in 2011. Similarly, Simran found film offers hard to get after campaigning for AIADMK in 2006.
The big star, this time, is also a politician: Makkal Needhi Maiyam leader Kamal Haasan, who has allied with DMK. DMK leaders said they don't need more stars. "Our thalaivar (Stalin) and chinnavar (Udhayanidhi) are our biggest stars," said a DMK leader. Lesser known actor Bose Venket is on the DMK's campaigners list, and so is actor Karunas, whose party Mukulathor Pulipadai is in DMK alliance.
BJP media coordinator S R Sekhar expects that some Bollywood stars like Hemamalini would campaign in TN. If actors need to tell their followers something, they do it on social media. One of the viral videos of Vijay Sethupathi shows him saying: "Believe someone who says there's a problem for your friend; don't believe someone who says there's a problem for your religion or caste."