A COVID end to Rajinikanth’s political dreams?

Even as election battle lines are being drawn in Tamil Nadu, actor Rajinikanth’s cryptic message about his hesitation in testing the political waters may bring an end to the “will he” and “when will he” speculation. The statement cited the pandemic and his health as major reasons for him to retract his steps. The 70-year-old actor reportedly underwent a kidney transplant in 2016. His doctors are believed to have cautioned him that even a corona vaccine may not guarantee immunity as he is already on immunosuppressants.

A formal decision, whenever taken, may come as a disappointment to political circles and fans, but it may also be seen as closure to the two-decade-long wait for the superstar’s plunge. Rajinikanth has been keeping political pundits guessing about his entry, possible alignments, his ability to swing people’s choices and the impact on the vote vault of the traditional Dravidian rivals.

A recent meeting between him and film colleague Kamal Haasan had also kept alive the gossip on whether the two actors who have shared screen space will also share the dais. To add to this, Rajinikanth’s impact on the saffron streak that has been emerging in the state was also doing the rounds. Expecting his plunge before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rajini Makkal Mandram, his fan outfit, began with soft poster campaigns. But the actor remained silent throughout the general elections as well as before the rural local body polls held late last year.

The decision to call it quits appears wise, considering the unpredictability that has arisen due to the pandemic. The recent death of 74-year-old singer S P Balasubrahmanyam due to Covid following his participation in a television show in Hyderabad has cast doubts on the safety of aging stars in public spaces.

Fans should make peace with the decision when the actual announcement is made, however anticlimactic it might be. The pandemic may be leading to a political casualty of sorts. Considering the odds stacked, avoiding the hustings for good could be a smart choice for the actor who has often said he had been advised by his Bollywood colleague, Amitabh Bachchan, never to join politics.