What do Rajini’s anti-establishment jabs in ‘Kaala’ convey? The jury is out

CHENNAI: A

weary-looking Rajinikanth

is shown walking through a crowd.


“Our body is our only weapon. We will show this to the world,” he says, before letting out a war cry, “Bring them all.”

This is a scene from the 90-second trailer of the superstar’s upcoming ‘Kaala’, which was released on Monday. Laced with anti-establishment barbs, it has been curated to reflect the mindset of Tamils still occupied with images from the anti-Sterlite violence in Tuticorin.

Within four hours of its release, the trailer garnered more than five lakh views and set Twitter ablaze. Many wondered if it was a statement of intent from the actor. In a particular instance, violence is shown unfolding in Dharavi, where the movie is set, as a consequence of Rajini taking on the film’s antagonist played by Nana Patekar. A policeman is shown hitting a woman on the head. Towards the end, Rajini thunders, “Land, for you (politician), is power but land, for us, is our livelihood.”

But political commentator Tharasu Shyam said the trailer was more of a commercial statement than a political one. “He (Rajini) is very clever to use the current situation (to market the film). But the trailer does not show his political conviction. Including anti-establishment scenes is the only way he can make a noise among his supporters,” said Shyam.

Using topical issues to gain leverage is Rajinikanth’s tactic, said Sudhangan, senior journalist and political commentator.

“MGR did it before him. This type of marketing will help his film succeed but need not necessarily translate into votes,” he said. “If politicallycharged dialogues helped people grab power, then Vijaykant would have become chief minister,” Sudhangan added.

Through his Twitter account, Rajinikanth on Monday released an audio clip in which he called the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to seal Sterlite factory ‘a victory’. “I dedicate this victory to all the departed souls from the protest,” Rajini said.