Reporter's diary: Success - How elusive is it for Mr Haasan?

CHENNI: Veteran actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan has triggered speculation of his party joining alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls. After the 2021 State Assembly poll debacle, Haasan has been keeping away from day-to-day political activities and was busy with shooting for his movies.After the stupendous success of Vikram at the box-office, he commenced the shooting for Indian 2, which was put in the backburner following an accident at the shooting venue. Now he has announced a movie with director Mani Ratnam.

Amid his busy film schedule, Haasan also chaired his party’s district secretaries meeting at Anna Nagar. The continuous electoral debacle from the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 to the local bodies polls has raised questions over the future of his party and Haasan’s desire to become an alternative to DMK and AIADMK parties in the State.

After the meeting, the actor-politician remarked that they had discussed the alliance, but he cannot reveal it. This triggered speculation that MNM would be forming an alliance for the 2024 LS polls.

A MNM leader said that from the actor’s speech, it’s very clear that he has no plan to join the alliance and wanted to strengthen the party to contest alone. “Just as I’ve overcome obstacles and failures in the field of art, I’ll overcome political obstacles and failures and succeed,” he quoted Haasan as saying. Will Haasan be able to replicate his box-office success in the polls too?