10-04-2009, 09:55 AM
<b>DMK threatens Tamil Actor Vijay
</b>
Chennai, Sept. 7: Rahul Gandhiâs plans to revive his party in Tamil Nadu by taking on board film star Vijay have suffered a setback with the actor backing out on the eve of the Congress MPâs three-day tour.
Apparently, the DMK is behind the about-turn of the 35-year-old actor.
Vijay has informed the state Congress that he will not be able to share the dais with Rahul â who is scheduled to arrive in Madurai tomorrow â at a public meeting at Coimbatore on Thursday.
Although many had expected Vijay to join the Congress at the programme, sources close to him had clarified that his appearance with Rahul would have only been a statement of intent, with the formal entry likely to have happened later.
The political baptism of Vijay, who has starred in 48 films, was also meant to give an added impetus to Vettaikkaaran (Hunter), his Diwali release which comes after his last three films bombed and raised doubts about his ability to be among the top five box-office draws in Tamil cinema.
Vijay had met Rahul in Delhi in August when the Congress general secretary had reportedly offered to make him the chief of the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress.
For Vijay, already bitten by the political bug and having floated the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (Vijay Peopleâs Movement) to convert his fan base into a political outfit, Rahulâs invite proved timely.
Rahul, who has put the state Youth Congress on a membership drive, had calculated that Vijayâs appeal, especially among the youth, could be a winning formula to recapture the ground the Congress has lost to the Dravidian parties since being voted out in 1967.
The advantage would be greater if actor Vijayakanthâs DMDK was brought on board. The Congress could then even take the calculated risk of fighting the 2011 state polls without ally DMKâs help.
But the DMK apparently had other plans as it did not want its hegemony challenged by an energised Congress, already peeved at being denied a share of the power despite its life-saving support to the M. Karunanidhi government.
As a first step, a Chennai marriage hall owned by Vijay received a notice from police two weeks ago asking for a pandal to be removed on the ground that it was impeding traffic.
Vijay and his father, film director S.A. Chandrasekar, remained unfazed, till the DMK unleashed its next weapon. A producer considered close to the DMK reportedly met Chandrasekar with the stern message that if his son continued to hobnob with the Congress, none of his future films would find a theatre for their screening.
Since Vijayâs future as a star hinged on Vettaikkaaran, which incidentally has been purchased by Sun Pictures, owned by the Marans, relatives of Karunanidhi, the father-son duo decided to deep-freeze their political ambitions, at least temporarily.
âI am in no position to speak to any section of the media at present,â Chandrasekar said over the phone when contacted for a comment. But a director close to Vijay said the actor, in the face of such open threats from the stateâs ruling party, had decided to retreat tactically to fight another day.
âHis decision to join hands with Rahul has only been deferred and not jettisoned,â the director added.
The Congress has chosen to watch and wait, but decided to go ahead with the membership drive for its youth wing regardless of Vijayâs plans.
âThe response has been tremendous, especially in villages where Rahul has caught the imagination of the youth. So, for the present, we will build on that and if Vijay joins us later, we will take that as a bonus,â said Congress Rajya Sabha MP C. Gnanadesikan.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090908/jsp/...ry_11465352.jsp
</b>
Chennai, Sept. 7: Rahul Gandhiâs plans to revive his party in Tamil Nadu by taking on board film star Vijay have suffered a setback with the actor backing out on the eve of the Congress MPâs three-day tour.
Apparently, the DMK is behind the about-turn of the 35-year-old actor.
Vijay has informed the state Congress that he will not be able to share the dais with Rahul â who is scheduled to arrive in Madurai tomorrow â at a public meeting at Coimbatore on Thursday.
Although many had expected Vijay to join the Congress at the programme, sources close to him had clarified that his appearance with Rahul would have only been a statement of intent, with the formal entry likely to have happened later.
The political baptism of Vijay, who has starred in 48 films, was also meant to give an added impetus to Vettaikkaaran (Hunter), his Diwali release which comes after his last three films bombed and raised doubts about his ability to be among the top five box-office draws in Tamil cinema.
Vijay had met Rahul in Delhi in August when the Congress general secretary had reportedly offered to make him the chief of the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress.
For Vijay, already bitten by the political bug and having floated the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (Vijay Peopleâs Movement) to convert his fan base into a political outfit, Rahulâs invite proved timely.
Rahul, who has put the state Youth Congress on a membership drive, had calculated that Vijayâs appeal, especially among the youth, could be a winning formula to recapture the ground the Congress has lost to the Dravidian parties since being voted out in 1967.
The advantage would be greater if actor Vijayakanthâs DMDK was brought on board. The Congress could then even take the calculated risk of fighting the 2011 state polls without ally DMKâs help.
But the DMK apparently had other plans as it did not want its hegemony challenged by an energised Congress, already peeved at being denied a share of the power despite its life-saving support to the M. Karunanidhi government.
As a first step, a Chennai marriage hall owned by Vijay received a notice from police two weeks ago asking for a pandal to be removed on the ground that it was impeding traffic.
Vijay and his father, film director S.A. Chandrasekar, remained unfazed, till the DMK unleashed its next weapon. A producer considered close to the DMK reportedly met Chandrasekar with the stern message that if his son continued to hobnob with the Congress, none of his future films would find a theatre for their screening.
Since Vijayâs future as a star hinged on Vettaikkaaran, which incidentally has been purchased by Sun Pictures, owned by the Marans, relatives of Karunanidhi, the father-son duo decided to deep-freeze their political ambitions, at least temporarily.
âI am in no position to speak to any section of the media at present,â Chandrasekar said over the phone when contacted for a comment. But a director close to Vijay said the actor, in the face of such open threats from the stateâs ruling party, had decided to retreat tactically to fight another day.
âHis decision to join hands with Rahul has only been deferred and not jettisoned,â the director added.
The Congress has chosen to watch and wait, but decided to go ahead with the membership drive for its youth wing regardless of Vijayâs plans.
âThe response has been tremendous, especially in villages where Rahul has caught the imagination of the youth. So, for the present, we will build on that and if Vijay joins us later, we will take that as a bonus,â said Congress Rajya Sabha MP C. Gnanadesikan.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090908/jsp/...ry_11465352.jsp
