Even though Kamal Haasan has launched his political party — Makkal Needhi Maiam — the actor-politician has been giving mixed signals about his political ideology. He was seen hobnobbing with the AAP chief and chief minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal; he sings praises of the Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his administration, and recently, he met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. After demanding the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board, he reportedly had a cordial meeting with the newly elected chief minister of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy. While some political pandits say he is vying for MGR’s legacy, others say he is pandering to Dravidian politics.
The actor was criticised for his tweet: “I refused to fill in the caste and religion column in both my daughters’ school admission certificate. That’s the only way it will pass on to the next generation. Every individual should start contributing for progress. Kerala started implementing the same. Those who do should be celebrated,” when asked about his stand on caste issues. Later, a Twitter user uploaded an interview of his daughter, Shruti Haasan, in which she identifies herself as “Iyengar”.
I refused to fill in the caste&religion column in both my daughters’ school admission certificate.That’s the only way,it will pass on to the next generation.Every individual shld start contributing fr progress.Kerala started implementing the same.Those who do shld be celebrated https://t.co/DLdTubcfW1
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) June 30, 2018
In an interview with the Outlook magazine, Haasan called himself a ‘politiculturist’. Describing his ideology, he says, “I am more and more attracted by centrism. Even a country which doesn’t actually need it, like America, is going towards it. They are all leaning towards centrism now. ”
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On whether Vishwaroopam 2 or Shabaash Naidu have any political content, the actor told the magazine that the films are more “reflective than propagandist”. In an earlier interview with Ananda Vikatan, the actor clarified that though Shabaash Naidu has the name of a caste in the title, it doesn’t glorify the caste system. On Vishwaroopam 2, he had said, “It is not completely political, but it does have some political ideas.”
He further told Outlook that it’s time that political parties in Tamil Nadu look beyond populist measures and got rid of the freebie culture. “It has to start somewhere and I am confident that it will start with us because we have clearly indicated from the beginning our sort of nom de guerre—that we will give you much more. Even in our first meeting, we said that you (voters) have been shortchanged and the money that you sold your vote for is not the right amount,” he said.