Why Kamal Haasan's views are being taken so seriously on Jallikattu

Pushing boundaries comes naturally to Kamal Haasan. And when the need arises, the Ulaganayagan does not flinch from crossing the line. His Vishwaroopam moment in 2013 being the most shocking when forces with political backing tried to get his movie “banned”. He hit back by threatening to quit the country if his artistic freedom was encroached upon.

This week saw a Virumandi moment, his 2004 release that saw him play the role of a Jallikattu bull tamer. Kamal, a long-time votary of the Madurai tradition, spoke out against the Tamil Nadu government for the manner in which force was used to stifle the protest at the Marina beach in Chennai on Monday. Using sarcasm to good effect, he said politicians like actors should be trained. “An untrained actor ruins the movie, an untrained politician ruins the country,” said Kamal. The message could not have been more effectively conveyed.

Right from the time that civil society momentum started building in favour of Jallikattu, Kamal was an active participant. Though he did not come up front to the Marina in deference to the decision not to let any celebrity hijack the attention from the Tamil makkal, Kamal was working the phones, speaking to the powers-that-be to convince them to take note of the public mood.

Like many other actors, he was in attendance at the silent protest organised by Nadigar Sangam last week, seen alongside colleagues like Rajinikanth and Ajith. But Kamal's involvement with the cause goes beyond mere marking attendance. The actor genuinely believes that resistance of this kind is critical to register against the political establishment. That the government should not be allowed to pull wool over everyone's eyes by bringing in a sham of an ordinance but one perused by legal experts to ensure it fulfilled the wishes of the people.

Given the symbiotic relationship between Kollywood and Tamil Nadu politics, it is but natural that Kamal's outburst is seen with suspicion. What is Kamal's game plan? Is he trying to get into politics?

Kamal is not. But he does have a game plan. Which is, in a Tamil Nadu that’s used to a culture of fear, it is time to shun the four-letter word. Unlike 2013, the Kamal of 2017 is not talking of running away. He is talking of taking on the political class, head-on.

Why Kamalspeak is so important is because the other thousands of nameless and faceless protesters are all under the state radar. For the past 72 hours or so, intelligence officials are busy doing background checks of many of the protesters. For most students, this is a new experience, something their families would like to avoid. This is the time-tested formula to ensure the Marina uprising the country saw last week, remains just a one-off incident. Never to happen again.

Taming Kamal would be more difficult and tricky. Unafraid to speak his mind and politically incorrect unlike many of his illustrious colleagues in the industry, Kamal is just the kind of man Tamil Nadu needs at the moment. One only hopes this is not a guest appearance act.

Kamal regretted that chief minister Panneerselvam did not meet the protesters. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was quick to dub Kamal “foolish” for making the suggestion. Swamy even got personal, suggesting that Kamal wore a black shirt like the "anti-national Dravida Kazhagam".

But it is not to say that the shrewd businessman in Kamal is not at work. By batting on the front foot like Virender Sehwag, Kamal is ensuring that the next time, he faces a Vishwaroopam kind of hostage situation; the people are there to rally around him. This is also an insurance against possible government crackdown on his work.

Kamal's pro-people position is in sharp contrast to say that of upcoming pop singer Aadhi, known as Hip Hop Tamizha who withdrew from the movement alleging undesirable elements had got into it. In one stroke, the singer lost the goodwill he had earned by singing the Jallikattu song. It is not about playing to the gallery but the impression that he did so at the behest of the ruling AIADMK, has hurt his image. In contrast, Kamal is playing the hero in real life.

The violence seen in Chennai on Monday has left the city scarred. As Kamal says, it is time to keep the vigil. Civil society did the unthinkable by occupying the most iconic public space in the city, the Marina beach for a week. The political class is trying to push it back now. The real Jallikattu is happening now.

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