Opinion | Stalin And Vijay : Tactical Support vs Tactical Silence |
Streetsmart, thinking, three steps ahead, reading the mind of the opponent, speaking your mind. Almost every reel adult character played by Thalapathy Vijay in the last 33 years in Tamil cinema has embodied these attributes. In his political avatar, however, Vijay has been conspicuous by his silence. Even when the Censor Board went out of its way to ensure his farewell movie Jana Nayagan did not get the Pongal release it wanted, there was not a word from Vijay. Intriguing to say the least, more so when assembly elections are three months away, the movie is his campaign vehicle and he claims his party, the TVK, would win the election. It is a political opportunity missed.
On the other hand, the developments over the past 48 hours have been a win-win for the DMK. With Jana Nayagan out of the way till January 21, unless the Supreme Court grants a reprieve next week, Parasakthi, the period drama based on the anti-Hindi agitation of the mid-1960s, will have a free run at 1000-odd screens across Tamil Nadu. Pongal 2026 was touted as the Jana Nayagan vs Parasakthi clash. But now the latter has emerged as the solo big release this festival season. The DMK has literally 'owned' Parasakthi. The title has a clear Karunanidhi connection as the former chief minister wrote the screenplay and dialogues for the........