If ever Rajini becomes a full-time politician, what would be his ideological leanings considering his real & reel personae, which often reflect the forces of Hindu majoritarianism, Hindi/Sanskrit hegemony, Brahminic dominance and superstitious fatalism! On the one hand Rajini keeps his fans guessing regarding his political entry, but on the other, he remains elusive stating that fate will determine his political trajectory. Is this a cunningly constructed commercial strategy to make his films successful? Or is this an opportunistic manipulation of the ageing actor to keep his fame intact? Part Nine of the series, “From Film Theatre to Fort St. George”, looks at these controversies surrounding the charisma of Rajini. The script written by Dr Dhamu Pongiyannan from the University of Adelaide based on his recent book Film and Politics in India Cinematic Charisma as a Gateway to Political Power. Serial Part - Nine. Voicing: Dr Mahendrarajah Praveenan & Kanthimathi Thinakaran; Produced by Raysel, SBS Tamil
If ever Rajini becomes a full-time politician, what would be his ideological leanings considering his real & reel personae, which often reflect the forces of Hindu majoritarianism, Hindi/Sanskrit hegemony, Brahminic dominance and superstitious fatalism! On the one hand Rajini keeps his fans guessing regarding his political entry, but on the other, he remains elusive stating that fate will determine his political trajectory. Is this a cunningly constructed commercial strategy to make his films successful? Or is this an opportunistic manipulation of the ageing actor to keep his fame intact? Part Nine of the series, “From Film Theatre to Fort St. George”, looks at these controversies surrounding the charisma of Rajini. The script written by Dr Dhamu Pongiyannan from the University of Adelaide based on his recent book Film and Politics in India Cinematic Charisma as a Gateway to Political Power. Serial Part - Nine. Voicing: Dr Mahendrarajah Praveenan & Kanthimathi Thinakaran; Produced by Raysel, SBS Tamil
