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Fan clubs, a time-tested route to Fort St George
Rajinikanth may have started the process to convert his fans into voters, but he is not the only actor to have done so. A look at other megastars who chose to use their fan base to gain power in politics
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Contrary to fans’ expectations that film star Rajinikanth would announce a new forum to start his political career, the actor chose to convert his fans into voters.
On New Year’s eve, he directed his fans to strengthen his existing fan clubs and form new ones in every street.
The 67-year-old, however, was not the first one to walk down this path. Matinee idol MGR was the first star — probably at the global level — to accomplish it. In Tamil Nadu, actor Vijayakanth followed MGR’s footsteps to little success, while renowned actor Sivaji Ganesan made no mark with his political venture.
In 1960s, MGR, nicknamed ‘Vadhyar’ by his fans, had 10,000 fan clubs which were operated under ‘Anaithaulaga MGR Mandram’ with branches in south east Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
The first club was founded by an ardent fan Kalyanasundaram in 1954 even before MGR achieved stardom through films like Malai Kallan and Nadodi Mannan. Some of the leading activists of the fan clubs, including KKSSR Ramachandran, KA Sengottaiyan and ‘Tiruchy’ Soundarajan, later went on to become ministers.
The fans began to work in election campaigns for the DMK from 1962, gaining first-hand expertise of electioneering including booth management, organising meetings and door-to-door canvassing. When MGR launched AIADMK in 1972, the fan clubs integrated themselves into the party with senior leaders who walked out of DMK to work on their political ambitions with the actor.
MGR had once said, “The fan clubs and the party are not different from each other”, highlighting their significance. Even after he ascended the Chief Minister’s post, the importance of the fan clubs remained undiminished as he was aware that they were the pillars of the AIADMK citadel.
Such was the importance of the fan clubs to MGR that he called off a major merger talks with DMK after ‘Musiri’ Puthan, the leader of his fans association was beaten up by DMK cadre.
The talks were initiated by MGR himself in 1979 when he requested Dravidar Kazhagam president (then general secretary) K Veeramani to work out modalities for a merger of his party with the DMK.
Thespian Sivaji Ganesan too had thousands of fan clubs to his name and they were working for the Congress. But unlike MGR fans who rose to higher positions in the AIADMK started by their hero, the fans of Sivaji did not get such opportunities. Sivaji was focused on acting career and remained with the Congress.
When Sivaji transformed his fan base into a political party Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani in 1988, he was well past his prime, his fans old and inexperienced while new stars like Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth were rising to stardom.
Actor Vijayakanth had arrived on the film stage in the early eighties and gradually began to build his fan clubs throughout the state. Fan club members entered the race in the 2001 local body elections where they got to know how to manage polls and establish a strong network at the grass roots level, which served him well when his DMDK contested in the 2006 Assembly polls.
Kamal Haasan too has already declared that his fans would play a major role in his new party which would be launched this year. His fan clubs have been involved in social activities like blood donation and planting saplings.
Rajinikanth is the latest to join the band with around 22,000 registered clubs and about 30,000 unregistered ones.
Meanwhile, with around 51,600 clubs, actor Vijay is the only other actor whose fan base can rival Rajinikanth’s.
WHEN HEROES BECAME LEADERS
FOR THEIR SUPPORT, STARS WOULD OFTEN GIVE FANS IMPORTANT POSITIONS IN PARTIES
Rajinikanth
- 22,000 registered clubs
- 30,000 unregistered clubs
- Membership of 25 needed for registration
- Coimbatore tops the list with over
- 1,000 clubs
- Mostly inactive after 1998
- Rajinikanth announced his decision to enter politics on December 31, 2017.
- He also declared that he would contest in all seats during the next Assembly elections. He is likely to announce his political party during Pongal on January 14.
Vijayakanth
- 6,000 fan clubs in late eighties
- With Actor’s DMK leanings, fans worked for it, contested and won civic body posts in 2001
- Fan clubs converted into party in 2005
- He formed the Centre-Left party Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) on September 14, 2005 in Madurai. It contested all seats in 2006 Assembly elections and won one seat which he had contested.
- In the 2011 election, Vijayakanth formed an alliance with All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and contested in 41 constituencies. His party saw phenomenal success by winning 29 of the 41 seats it contested.
MG Ramachandran
- First fan club in 1954
- Went up to 10,000 in mid sixties
- Carried out election works for DMK
- Rose to prominent positions in AIADMK
- In 1953, MGR joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) after being attracted by its founder CN Annadurai. He added glamour to the Dravidian movement which was sweeping across Tamil Nadu.
- MGR became a member of the State Legislative Council in 1962. At 50, he was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1967.
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