Topic started by Sethu (@ 203.90.76.88) on Wed Aug 28 09:41:57 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

In 1952 the film parasakthi was released.Karunanidhi's firebrand politically loaded dialogues heralded the use of the tamil film industry by the kazhagam parties to propagate thier ideology.'Ithu pesathu yen endral ithu Kall' roared sivaji about the goddess.From 1952,first with sivaji and then successfully with MGR the DMK used the tamil fim industry.And it is not hard to believe that from 1967,ALL the CM's of TN are very closely assocoated with the film industry.MGR used his own 'formula' to create a huge fan following and eventually captured power.And the rise of jayalalitha as CM is a definite indiacator of the hold glamourous politicians who were matinee idols have on the psyche of tamil people just on sheer personality cult.Only in neighbouring AP,NTR founded the TDP in 1983 and became CM in 1984.Perhaps,only TN is the ONLY state in india where the congress in non-existent.Could it happen in any other state ?

Now we have a strange and extremely embarrassing situation where seasoned politicians and commentators are asking rajinikanth to come to poilitics.Should there be any doubt when one say this can happen only in TN.Pal abhishegam by his fans,suicide are unique to TN.Adding more thamasha is the regular live telecasts by satellite channels on his 'political' comments.

The recently concluded star night in malaysia and singapore is a good example.S S chandran[a sitting MP, dancing and joking],napolean [ a sitting MLA singing] and sarath kumar [ a sitting MLA dancing with extras] portend not a very good future for TN.Now it's rajinikanth...who knows then it will vijay kanth,sarath kumar,napolean...and pray even sathyaraj.Only in TN we have SUPER STAR RAJINI,UNIVERSAL HERO KAMAL,PURATHCI KALAIGNAR VIJAYAKANTH,SUPREME [!] STAR SARATH KUMAR,ILAYA THALAPATHI [AIYO!!] VIJAY,ILAYA THILAGAM PRABHU,MAKKAL KALAIGNAR, etc etc.


OK enough of it.On the positive side

1.TN does not kill brahimins or muslims for votes.
2.We don't maim or threaten outsiders like they do in 'cosmopolitan' bangalore.
3.We make outsiders CM.

But in our state where is the dividing line between cinema and politics ? Where the former starts and the latter ends ? Or is parasakthi to baba a logical conclusion ?

Responses:

• From: Sugrutha (@ bgp450202bgs.avenel01.nj.comcast.net) on: Wed Aug 28 14:02:16
  
  Parasakthi to Baba. The Hegelian negation to affirmation ? Rajni, with his 'EVR, Rajaji aana kathai' has made a definite statement that atheism is not only not a solution, but never will be acceptable in TN.
  
  But at the same time, the resignation of amaichar Dorai shows that TN has come a long way in turning its back on cruel rituals.
  
  I also read in the Reported (Kumudam) recently, that Radha Ravi, was turned out of a hotel for misbehaviour, his MLA status and pleas from an accompanying minister notwithstanding. People have begun standing up to bullying tactics by politicians.
  
  Rajini can only be a King-maker, never a King. He should realise this.
  
  
• From: S (@ bgp450202bgs.avenel01.nj.comcast.net) on: Wed Aug 28 17:39:20
  
  From: R (@ h66-59-174-253.gtconnect.net) on: Wed Aug 28 16:01:30
  
  
  Sugrutha,
  
  I dont have a direct answer but I was thinking about the hero worshiping tendenciesin Indian in general and TN in particular, when you asked "What if Rajini supported the BJP in the next elections ? "
  
  This is what I was thinking in a different thread :-(((
  
  Just like the archaic Etruscan society believed in an end of an era that allowed their former vassals namely the Romans to take them over and the Aztecs believed in a sea god coming from the east allowed the Spanish conquerors to vanquish them the archaic characteristics of the Tamil society is its Achilles heel.
  
  Modern Tamil society can accept without questing individual leaders as infallible and have certain magical powers to cure all their problems and has a certain group thinking, which has over and over again being negative in a modern world where such world view is counter productive.
  
  This accepting individual leaders is passed down to us from the days when we venerated Heroes and accepted the Kings and Chiefs had certain power to control the well being (Ref. Hart). ?
  
  
• From: S (@ bgp450202bgs.avenel01.nj.comcast.net) on: Wed Aug 28 17:56:40
  
  From: R (@ h66-59-174-253.gtconnect.net) on: Wed Aug 28 14:48:46
  
  
  Canka Tamilaham did not have temples to gods but to megalithic stone structures to ancestors which inturn became places of worship, hero stones for fallen war heroes and martyrs which in turn became sacred places, sacred groves to nature deities, sacred trees and mountains.
  
  The King or Chief to was supposed to have certain power and his abode was eventually turned into Kovil that is the abode of Kings. When the Gods took the place of Kings it became an abode of Gods.
  
  But what is intersting is that Tamil society even today at many levels STILL MAINTAINS many of the archaic values such as sacred groves, hero stones, ancestor worship along with veneration of Vedic and non Vedic gods. Only thing missing from it is the veneration of Kings and cheifs, instead we have political leaders who seem to have power over the masses (especially MGR)
  
  
• From: cinegoer (@ 203.95.68.137) on: Thu Aug 29 00:48:51
  
  Here is one (in)famous incident involving M.G.Ramachandran
  
  It was the time when he famously split from DMK and had founded the ADMK.
  While speaking in one of his early public rallies, The puratchi thalai drank some water.
  Believe it or not, the water that remained in that glass tumbler was added to big vessel of water
  And it was distributed as ‘prasadham’ to the thousands who attended the rally.
  
  
  

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