<p>Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan today slammed the Tamil Nadu government and said that the way women are treated in Tamil Nadu is &#39;&#39;shameful&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">They say I&#39;m funded by Christian missionaries &amp; to that all I can do is laugh it off as it&#39;s false. It&#39;s not about actors becoming politicians it&#39;s about concerned citizens getting involved &amp; the way women are treated here currently is shameful: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalHaasan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalHaasan</a> in Erode, Tamil Nadu <a href="https://t.co/FFrWB50Y4r">pic.twitter.com/FFrWB50Y4r</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/972721538049900546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Beginning his two-day visit to Erode on Saturday, he addressed party cadre and the public at Perundurai, where he asked a party member to hoist the party flag.</p>

<p>Makkal Needhi Maiam leader said that changes will happen only if everyone comes together.</p>

<p>&#39;&#39;They say I&#39;m funded by Christian missionaries and to that all I can do is laugh it off as it&#39;s false. It&#39;s not about actors becoming politicians it&#39;s about concerned citizens getting involved,&#39;&#39; the actor said.</p>

<p>The way women are treated here currently is &#39;&#39;shameful&#39;&#39;, he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The actor, who has been extremely&nbsp;vocal in his criticism of the ruling party in Tamil Nadu even before announcing his entry into politics, has stepped up the attack of late.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Asked what will be his message to the ruling AIADMK and the main opposition DMK, he said yesterday, &quot;Mend your ways or we will step in.&quot;</p>


Makkal Needhi Maiam leader said that changes will happen only if everyone comes together.

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan today slammed the Tamil Nadu government and said that the way women are treated in Tamil Nadu is ''shameful''. They say I'm funded by Christian missionaries & to that all I can do is laugh it off as it's false. It's not about actors becoming politicians it's about concerned citizens getting involved & the way women are treated here currently is shameful: #KamalHaasan in Erode, Tamil Nadu pic.twitter.com/FFrWB50Y4r — ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2018 × Beginning his two-day visit to Erode on Saturday, he addressed party cadre and the public at Perundurai, where he asked a party member to hoist the party flag. Makkal Needhi Maiam leader said that changes will happen only if everyone comes together. ''They say I'm funded by Christian missionaries and to that all I can do is laugh it off as it's false. It's not about actors becoming politicians it's about concerned citizens getting involved,'' the actor said. The way women are treated here currently is ''shameful'', he added. The actor, who has been extremely vocal in his criticism of the ruling party in Tamil Nadu even before announcing his entry into politics, has stepped up the attack of late. Asked what will be his message to the ruling AIADMK and the main opposition DMK, he said yesterday, "Mend your ways or we will step in."

The way women are treated in Tamil Nadu is 'shameful': Kamal Haasan

<p>Periyar statue issue being raked up to divert attention from Cauvery issue (formation of Cauvery management board), said Makkal Needhi Maiam&nbsp;founder and actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan.</p>

<p>Addressing the media in Chennai amid the row over Periyar statue vandalisation, he said there was no need to deploy police for protection of Periyar statue. &#39;&#39;We Tamilians will protect it. I feel that this issue is just to divert attention from Cauvery issue (formation of Cauvery management board),&#39;&#39; he said.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There is no need to deploy police for protection of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PeriyarStatue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PeriyarStatue</a>. We Tamilians will protect it.I feel that this issue is just to divert attention from Cauvery issue (formation of Cauvery management board): Kamal Hassan <a href="https://t.co/88aZ7gHqcL">pic.twitter.com/88aZ7gHqcL</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/971285101714792448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Two men vandalised a Periyar statue, located near a government office building in Tamil Nadu&#39;s Vellore.</p>

<p>The police have arrested two men. &quot;One man is a BJP member and another a CPI worker,&quot; the police said.</p>

<p>According to the police, the act of vandalism occurred at around 9.15 pm in Tirupattur in Vellore district.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The two men&nbsp;involved in the act were allegedly drunk. The statue was reportedly in front a government building.</p>

<p>&quot;They are friends and were drunk. The two men damaged the glasses and the nose of the statue. They were arrested immediately,&quot; says police official.</p>

<p>Earlier, BJP national secretary H Raja threatened to take down statues of &#39;Periyar&#39; EV Ramasamy soon, like the Lenin statue that was vandalised and razed in Tripura after the BJP&#39;s poll victory in the state. Raja&#39;s threat has sparked angry reactions from Tamil Nadu&#39;s political class.</p>

<p>Raja&#39;s threat came in a post on his verified Facebook page. &quot;Who is Lenin? How is he connected to India? How is communism connected to India? The Lenin statue was razed in Tripura. Today it is a Lenin statue in Tripura. Tomorrow, it will be the statue of caste-crazed EV Ramasamy in Tamil Nadu,&quot; read his post, that was deleted after the fiery backlash.</p>


Two men vandalised a Periyar statue, located near a government office building in Tamil Nadu's Vellore.

Periyar statue issue being raked up to divert attention from Cauvery issue (formation of Cauvery management board), said Makkal Needhi Maiam founder and actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan. Addressing the media in Chennai amid the row over Periyar statue vandalisation, he said there was no need to deploy police for protection of Periyar statue. ''We Tamilians will protect it. I feel that this issue is just to divert attention from Cauvery issue (formation of Cauvery management board),'' he said. There is no need to deploy police for protection of #PeriyarStatue. We Tamilians will protect it.I feel that this issue is just to divert attention from Cauvery issue (formation of Cauvery management board): Kamal Hassan pic.twitter.com/88aZ7gHqcL — ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2018 × Two men vandalised a Periyar statue, located near a government office building in Tamil Nadu's Vellore. The police have arrested two men. "One man is a BJP member and another a CPI worker," the police said. According to the police, the act of vandalism occurred at around 9.15 pm in Tirupattur in Vellore district. The two men involved in the act were allegedly drunk. The statue was reportedly in front a government building. "They are friends and were drunk. The two men damaged the glasses and the nose of the statue. They were arrested immediately," says police official. Earlier, BJP national secretary H Raja threatened to take down statues of 'Periyar' EV Ramasamy soon, like the Lenin statue that was vandalised and razed in Tripura after the BJP's poll victory in the state. Raja's threat has sparked angry reactions from Tamil Nadu's political class. Raja's threat came in a post on his verified Facebook page. "Who is Lenin? How is he connected to India? How is communism connected to India? The Lenin statue was razed in Tripura. Today it is a Lenin statue in Tripura. Tomorrow, it will be the statue of caste-crazed EV Ramasamy in Tamil Nadu," read his post, that was deleted after the fiery backlash.

Periyar statue issue being raked up to divert attention from Cauvery issue: Kamal Haasan

<p>At times watching the Barcelona star Lionel Messi, you get the feeling that real sporting genius lies in being able to do the outlandishly good every day, to be routinely out of the ordinary.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Messi shrugging off the defenders in conventional fashion, leaving them whirling and stumbling and evading the opponents&#39; attack with a jink, proved repeatedly that he is the best club footballer of his generation still reinventing the elite attacking football.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ever since the death of the charismatic leader and former AIADMK Supremo Jayalalithaa, there has been a void in Tamil Nadu politics which everyone in the state hoping for a &#39;&#39;Messiah like Messi&#39;&#39; to fill that. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Tamil Nadu has plunged into full-blown crisis following the untimely death of &nbsp;Puratchi Thalaivi (revolutionary leader), J Jayalalithaa. What followed was crisis after crisis which left everyone bewildered.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Now, with actor Kamal Haasan sowing the seed for his political party at a public meeting in Madurai on Wednesday and Superstar Rajinikanth tossing his hat into the ring in a high-profile fan meet not long ago, there is a glimmer of hope. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Actor Kamal Haasan, who began his political journey from the birthplace of former president A P J Abdul Kalam has never dabbled in politics, unlike the other superstars who have been in and out politics for the last 20 years. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The two superstars of Tamil filmdom kickstarting their respective political journey, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for Tamil Nadu. Though there have always been rumours swirling around Rajinikanth entering politics, both the actors clearly stated that it&#39;s &#39;&#39;compulsion of time&rdquo; that made them enter politics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan, like Rajinikanth, has a mass. He is a superstar like Messi in their own domain. The major advantage for an actor like Kamal Haasan is that when you are a superstar with a mass appeal, half of your job is done. But the toughest task for the Makkal Needi Maiam (MNM) and Kamal Haasan is how he and his party play their part in the second half.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan has his task cut out. The actor has to dribble and often take the ball and shimmy past some strong defenders such as DMK and AIADMK to score. Not an easy task. The actor-turned-politician may or may not succeed. But to leave the Dravidaian stalwarts flailing as he glides past them, the actor-turned-politician needs to be unstoppable and has to be outlandishly good every day if he wants to succeed in the mission he is set out to achieve.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Only time will tell whether Kamal Haasan will turn out to be&nbsp;Messi-the-Messiah that Tamil Nadu needs.</p>

<p>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Ever since the death of the charismatic leader Jayalalithaa, what Tamil Nadu needs is a saviour. Will Kamal Haasan be the one?

At times watching the Barcelona star Lionel Messi, you get the feeling that real sporting genius lies in being able to do the outlandishly good every day, to be routinely out of the ordinary. Messi shrugging off the defenders in conventional fashion, leaving them whirling and stumbling and evading the opponents' attack with a jink, proved repeatedly that he is the best club footballer of his generation still reinventing the elite attacking football. Ever since the death of the charismatic leader and former AIADMK Supremo Jayalalithaa, there has been a void in Tamil Nadu politics which everyone in the state hoping for a ''Messiah like Messi'' to fill that. Tamil Nadu has plunged into full-blown crisis following the untimely death of Puratchi Thalaivi (revolutionary leader), J Jayalalithaa. What followed was crisis after crisis which left everyone bewildered. Now, with actor Kamal Haasan sowing the seed for his political party at a public meeting in Madurai on Wednesday and Superstar Rajinikanth tossing his hat into the ring in a high-profile fan meet not long ago, there is a glimmer of hope. Actor Kamal Haasan, who began his political journey from the birthplace of former president A P J Abdul Kalam has never dabbled in politics, unlike the other superstars who have been in and out politics for the last 20 years. The two superstars of Tamil filmdom kickstarting their respective political journey, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for Tamil Nadu. Though there have always been rumours swirling around Rajinikanth entering politics, both the actors clearly stated that it's ''compulsion of time” that made them enter politics. Kamal Haasan, like Rajinikanth, has a mass. He is a superstar like Messi in their own domain. The major advantage for an actor like Kamal Haasan is that when you are a superstar with a mass appeal, half of your job is done. But the toughest task for the Makkal Needi Maiam (MNM) and Kamal Haasan is how he and his party play their part in the second half. Kamal Haasan has his task cut out. The actor has to dribble and often take the ball and shimmy past some strong defenders such as DMK and AIADMK to score. Not an easy task. The actor-turned-politician may or may not succeed. But to leave the Dravidaian stalwarts flailing as he glides past them, the actor-turned-politician needs to be unstoppable and has to be outlandishly good every day if he wants to succeed in the mission he is set out to achieve. Only time will tell whether Kamal Haasan will turn out to be Messi-the-Messiah that Tamil Nadu needs. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Will Kamal Haasan be 'Messi-the-Messiah' for Tamil Nadu?

<p>There was a stream of visitors at Anil Kapoor&#39;s resident on Monday as celebrities from the Southern film industry as well as Hindi film industry came to offer their condolences to Sridevi&#39;s family. While the Dubai Police has still not released the actress&#39; body, there was a constant flow of people at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence all of Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Akshay Kumar and his wife Twinkle Khanna were seen at Anil Kapoor&#39;s home on Tuesday afternoon.</p>

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<p>Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna visit Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence on Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION)</p>
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<p>Madhuri Dixit, Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, Amar Singh, Jaya Prada, Sara Ali Khan, Genelia Deshmukh- all were spotted at Kapoor residence.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mumbai</a>: Shah Rukh Khan visits Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence. <a href="https://t.co/lQqmE5amCf">pic.twitter.com/lQqmE5amCf</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/968194109574975489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfq96VUghnK/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Finally...Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan snapped as they arrive at #anilkapoor house #ripsridevi #sridevi #photooftheday #shahrukhkhan #gaurikhan #monday #instalove #instagood #instadaily #manavmanglani @manav.manglani</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/manav.manglani/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Manav Manglani</a> (@manav.manglani) on <time datetime="2018-02-26T19:18:33+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Feb 26, 2018 at 11:18am PST</time></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh arrive at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence on Monday evening. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Madhuri Dixit and her husband Dr Nene at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence on Monday. Photo by Yogen Shah. (WION)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Karisma Kapoor at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence on Monday. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION)</p>
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<p>Genelia Deshmukh at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence on Monday. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Shekhar Kapur, who directed her in Mr India, arrives at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence on Monday. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION)</p>
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<p>Sridevi&#39;s close friends and Tamil superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan flew down to Mumbai to meet the actress&#39; family. Sridevi&#39;s first film as a leading heroine had these two actors as her leading men. Veteran actor Nasser also came in to pay his last respect.</p>

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<p>Kamal Haasan flew down to Mumbai on Monday afternoon to meet Sridevi&#39;s family members. Sridevi was known to be close to the veteran actor with whom she is acted in more than 20 films. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION)</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mumbai</a>: Rajinikanth visits Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence. <a href="https://t.co/PyxuPU2gmC">pic.twitter.com/PyxuPU2gmC</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/968192960713158657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Veteran Tamil actor Nasser at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence on Monday. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION)</p>
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<p>Sara Ali Khan and Ishaan Khatter, friends of Janhvi Kapoor- Sridevi&#39;s daughter, were also spotted at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence. Janhvi is making her debut opposite Ishaan in Karan Johar&#39;s <em>Dhadak </em>slated for an October release.&nbsp;</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfq5-JNgf2T/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Ishaan Khatter snapped at #anilkapoor house #ripsridevi #sridevi #photooftheday #monday #instalove #instagood #instadaily #manavmanglani @manav.manglani</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/manav.manglani/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Manav Manglani</a> (@manav.manglani) on <time datetime="2018-02-26T18:44:07+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Feb 26, 2018 at 10:44am PST</time></p>
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<p>Sara Ali Khan arrives at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence on Monday to meet Sridevi&#39;s daughter Khushi. The two are known to be friends and are set to make their debut in films this year. (WION)</p>
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<p>Newlyweds Mohit Marwah and Antara Motiwala were also spotted at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence. Sridevi and the rest of the Kapoor family had flown to UAE last week to attend Mohit&#39;s wedding.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Mohit Marwa and his wife Antara Motiwala arrive at Anil Kapoor&#39;s residence. Sridevi had gone to Dubai along with Kapoor family to attend Mohit&#39;s wedding. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION)</p>
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<p>On Monday, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-forensic-results-out-sridevi-died-of-accidental-drowning-report-34121">Dubai Police released the forensic report </a>which determined that Sridevi&#39;s death was due to accidental drowning. While there is no official word on when the last rites of the actress would be conducted, reports suggest that the body will be brought back to Mumbai on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sources have revealed that Boney Kapoor&#39;s family are awaiting approvals for the release of the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/public-prosecutors-office-to-carry-out-legal-procedures-on-sridevis-death-dubai-police-34142"> body from the public prosecutor.</a></p>


Tamil and Hindi film actors continued to gather at Anil Kapoor's home to pay their last respect to Sridevi.

There was a stream of visitors at Anil Kapoor's resident on Monday as celebrities from the Southern film industry as well as Hindi film industry came to offer their condolences to Sridevi's family. While the Dubai Police has still not released the actress' body, there was a constant flow of people at Anil Kapoor's residence all of Monday. Akshay Kumar and his wife Twinkle Khanna were seen at Anil Kapoor's home on Tuesday afternoon. Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna visit Anil Kapoor's residence on Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION) × Madhuri Dixit, Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, Amar Singh, Jaya Prada, Sara Ali Khan, Genelia Deshmukh- all were spotted at Kapoor residence. #Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan visits Anil Kapoor's residence. pic.twitter.com/lQqmE5amCf — ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2018 × Finally...Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan snapped as they arrive at #anilkapoor house #ripsridevi #sridevi #photooftheday #shahrukhkhan #gaurikhan #monday #instalove #instagood #instadaily #manavmanglani @manav.manglani A post shared by Manav Manglani (@manav.manglani) on Feb 26, 2018 at 11:18am PST × Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh arrive at Anil Kapoor's residence on Monday evening. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION) × Madhuri Dixit and her husband Dr Nene at Anil Kapoor's residence on Monday. Photo by Yogen Shah. (WION) × Karisma Kapoor at Anil Kapoor's residence on Monday. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION) × Genelia Deshmukh at Anil Kapoor's residence on Monday. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION) × Shekhar Kapur, who directed her in Mr India, arrives at Anil Kapoor's residence on Monday. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION) × Sridevi's close friends and Tamil superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan flew down to Mumbai to meet the actress' family. Sridevi's first film as a leading heroine had these two actors as her leading men. Veteran actor Nasser also came in to pay his last respect. Kamal Haasan flew down to Mumbai on Monday afternoon to meet Sridevi's family members. Sridevi was known to be close to the veteran actor with whom she is acted in more than 20 films. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION) × #Mumbai: Rajinikanth visits Anil Kapoor's residence. pic.twitter.com/PyxuPU2gmC — ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2018 × Veteran Tamil actor Nasser at Anil Kapoor's residence on Monday. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION) × Sara Ali Khan and Ishaan Khatter, friends of Janhvi Kapoor- Sridevi's daughter, were also spotted at Anil Kapoor's residence. Janhvi is making her debut opposite Ishaan in Karan Johar's Dhadak slated for an October release. Ishaan Khatter snapped at #anilkapoor house #ripsridevi #sridevi #photooftheday #monday #instalove #instagood #instadaily #manavmanglani @manav.manglani A post shared by Manav Manglani (@manav.manglani) on Feb 26, 2018 at 10:44am PST × Sara Ali Khan arrives at Anil Kapoor's residence on Monday to meet Sridevi's daughter Khushi. The two are known to be friends and are set to make their debut in films this year. (WION) × Newlyweds Mohit Marwah and Antara Motiwala were also spotted at Anil Kapoor's residence. Sridevi and the rest of the Kapoor family had flown to UAE last week to attend Mohit's wedding. Mohit Marwa and his wife Antara Motiwala arrive at Anil Kapoor's residence. Sridevi had gone to Dubai along with Kapoor family to attend Mohit's wedding. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION) × On Monday, Dubai Police released the forensic report which determined that Sridevi's death was due to accidental drowning. While there is no official word on when the last rites of the actress would be conducted, reports suggest that the body will be brought back to Mumbai on Tuesday morning. Sources have revealed that Boney Kapoor's family are awaiting approvals for the release of the body from the public prosecutor.

Sridevi death: Shah Rukh Khan, Rajinikanth, Deepika, Ranveer visit Anil Kapoor's home to offer their condolences

<p>Tamil superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan are saddened by the news of veteran actor Sridevi`s sudden demise.The stars, with whom Sridevi acted in a number of hits, expressed their grief on their Twitter handles.<br />
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&quot;I`m shocked and very disturbed. I`ve lost a dear friend and the industry has lost a true legend. My heart goes out to her family and friends. I feel the pain with them #RIPSridev ... you will be missed,&quot; tweeted <em>Thalaivar.</em></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I&rsquo;m shocked and very disturbed. I&rsquo;ve lost a dear friend and the industry has lost a true legend. My heart goes out to her family and friends. I feel the pain with them <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPSridev?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIPSridev</a> ... you will be missed.</p>
&mdash; Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) <a href="https://twitter.com/superstarrajini/status/967587334878146560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Haasan, on the other hand, tweeted, &quot;Have witnessed Sridevi`s life from an adolescent teenager to the magnificent lady she became. Her stardom was well deserved. Many happy moments with her flash through my mind including the last time I met her. <em class="gr-progress">Sadma</em>`s lullaby haunts me now. We`ll miss her&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Have witnessed Sridevi&#39;s life from an adolescent teenager to the magnificeint lady she became. Her stardom was well deserved. Many happy moments with her flash through my mind including the last time I met her. Sadma&#39;s lullaby haunts me now. We&#39;ll miss her</p>
&mdash; Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ikamalhaasan/status/967582423968989185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Sridevi, who started out as a child artiste in Tamil cinema, was only 13 when she was cast alongside two of her favourite proteges, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, in K Balachander`s `Moondru Mudichu` (1976).</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-sridevi-best-songs-playlist-33977">Also see:&nbsp;Remembering Sridevi: The songs that made her a superstar</a><br />
<br />
Sridevi and Rajinikanth acted in a number of hits together but it was with Kamal Haasan that she shared the most prolific on-screen collaboration.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Together, they appeared in nearly 30 films.<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sridevi-1963-2018-bollywoods-chandni-gone-too-soon-33963">Hailed as the first female superstar of Hindi cinema</a>, Sridevi <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/legendary-actor-sridevi-dies-tributes-pour-in-from-all-over-the-world-33953">died in Dubai on Saturday after a cardiac arrest</a>. She was 54.&nbsp;</p>


Sridevi was 13 when she made her debut as a leading lady opposite the two actors.

Tamil superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan are saddened by the news of veteran actor Sridevi`s sudden demise.The stars, with whom Sridevi acted in a number of hits, expressed their grief on their Twitter handles. "I`m shocked and very disturbed. I`ve lost a dear friend and the industry has lost a true legend. My heart goes out to her family and friends. I feel the pain with them #RIPSridev ... you will be missed," tweeted Thalaivar. I’m shocked and very disturbed. I’ve lost a dear friend and the industry has lost a true legend. My heart goes out to her family and friends. I feel the pain with them #RIPSridev ... you will be missed. — Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) February 25, 2018 × Haasan, on the other hand, tweeted, "Have witnessed Sridevi`s life from an adolescent teenager to the magnificent lady she became. Her stardom was well deserved. Many happy moments with her flash through my mind including the last time I met her. Sadma`s lullaby haunts me now. We`ll miss her" Have witnessed Sridevi's life from an adolescent teenager to the magnificeint lady she became. Her stardom was well deserved. Many happy moments with her flash through my mind including the last time I met her. Sadma's lullaby haunts me now. We'll miss her — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) February 25, 2018 × Sridevi, who started out as a child artiste in Tamil cinema, was only 13 when she was cast alongside two of her favourite proteges, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, in K Balachander`s `Moondru Mudichu` (1976). Also see: Remembering Sridevi: The songs that made her a superstar Sridevi and Rajinikanth acted in a number of hits together but it was with Kamal Haasan that she shared the most prolific on-screen collaboration. Together, they appeared in nearly 30 films.Hailed as the first female superstar of Hindi cinema, Sridevi died in Dubai on Saturday after a cardiac arrest. She was 54.

Sridevi's friends Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth mourn her demise

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-shows-support-for-arming-teachers-to-prevent-school-shootings-33655">Arming teachers could stop school shootings, says Trump</a></p>

<p>Donald Trump said on Wednesday that arming teachers could help prevent massacres like last week&rsquo;s mass shooting at a Florida high school, voicing support for an idea backed by the National Rifle Association gun rights group.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/migration-from-bangladesh-part-of-proxy-war-by-pakistan-supported-by-china-army-chief-33667">Migration from Bangladesh part of proxy war by Pakistan, supported by China: Army Chief</a></p>

<p>Migration from Bangladesh into India is &quot;plannned&quot;, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday. The migration, he added, is part of a proxy war by Pakistan and is supported by China, to keep India&#39;s Northeast region on the boil.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/avani-chaturvedi-becomes-first-indian-woman-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-33666" target="_blank">Avani Chaturvedi becomes first Indian woman to fly fighter jet</a></p>

<p>Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi created history when she become the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft, an IAF official said.</p>

<p>&quot;Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo when she flew a MiG-21 bison in her first solo flight,&quot; PTI quoting an official stated.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-s-durga-cleared-by-cbfc-without-any-cuts-first-screening-to-take-place-in-kolkata-33658">&#39;S Durga&#39; cleared by CBFC without any cuts, first screening to take place in Kolkata</a></p>

<p>In a relief to its makers, Malayalam film S Durga, which was dropped from the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) last year, has been cleared by the Revising Committee of the censor board without any cuts.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-upgrading-air-defence-in-tibet-to-counter-india-threat-says-state-media-33664">China upgrading air defence in Tibet to counter &#39;India threat&#39;, says state media</a></p>

<p>China is upgrading air defence of its Western Theatre Command, which looks after the security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), to &ldquo;confront any threat from India&rdquo;, an official media report quoted a military expert as saying.</p>


Read the top 5 stories of the morning here

Arming teachers could stop school shootings, says Trump Donald Trump said on Wednesday that arming teachers could help prevent massacres like last week’s mass shooting at a Florida high school, voicing support for an idea backed by the National Rifle Association gun rights group. Migration from Bangladesh part of proxy war by Pakistan, supported by China: Army Chief Migration from Bangladesh into India is "plannned", Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday. The migration, he added, is part of a proxy war by Pakistan and is supported by China, to keep India's Northeast region on the boil. Avani Chaturvedi becomes first Indian woman to fly fighter jet Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi created history when she become the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft, an IAF official said. "Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo when she flew a MiG-21 bison in her first solo flight," PTI quoting an official stated. 'S Durga' cleared by CBFC without any cuts, first screening to take place in Kolkata In a relief to its makers, Malayalam film S Durga, which was dropped from the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) last year, has been cleared by the Revising Committee of the censor board without any cuts. China upgrading air defence in Tibet to counter 'India threat', says state media China is upgrading air defence of its Western Theatre Command, which looks after the security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), to “confront any threat from India”, an official media report quoted a military expert as saying.

WION News Brief, February 22, 2018

<p>Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday said the six &#39;enjoining hands&#39; symbol of his new political party &#39;Makkal Needhi Maiam&#39; represents six southern states.</p>

<p>While speaking at the launch of the party, for which Haasan has &quot;picked ideologies from everyone&quot;, the actor-turned-politician said he had kept his party&#39;s name &#39;Maiam&#39; (Centre) because he did not belong to either Left or Right.</p>

<p>The six southern states Haasan was referring to are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and one Union Territory Andeman and Nicobar Islands.</p>

<p>&quot;People ask me what is Maiam, and if I am a Left or a Right. This is why I have kept my party&#39;s name &#39;Maiam&#39;, which means centre. The six hands in my party symbol represent six states and the star in the middle represents people,&quot; Haasan said.</p>

<p>He said his party would work on providing quality education to all and diminishing caste and religion difference in the society.</p>

<p>&quot;We will work on many issues including these. We will set an example; fight corruption together. People have unfortunately sold their votes for merely Rs 6,000. People ask me if I will give them money. My answer is no, I will not. If you accept money, you cannot ask your representative for anything,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Haasan said that all these years he was in people&#39;s heart and now he wants to be a part of their residence, &quot;I am the lamp in your house, which does not flicker in winds of corruption.&quot;</p>

<p>When asked who his inspiration is -- Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi or Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, the former actor said he liked and was inspired from all, including Arvind Kejriwal, N. Chandrababu Naidu, Pinarayi Vijayan, and Barack Obama.</p>

<p>Haasan said he wanted to start his party silently and move slowly towards campaigning.</p>

<p>&quot;There is no starvation for money, but for good-hearted people.&quot;</p>

<p>On the Supreme Court&#39;s verdict on the Cauvery dispute, Haasan said Tamil Nadu could get water if there was good dialogue with Karnataka. &quot;I can even get blood (donated blood, not violence).&quot;</p>

<p>He said his two daughters - Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan, who were present at the launch event, were free to decide whether to join him in this new journey or not.</p>


The six southern states Haasan was talking about are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and one union territory, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday said the six 'enjoining hands' symbol of his new political party 'Makkal Needhi Maiam' represents six southern states. While speaking at the launch of the party, for which Haasan has "picked ideologies from everyone", the actor-turned-politician said he had kept his party's name 'Maiam' (Centre) because he did not belong to either Left or Right. The six southern states Haasan was referring to are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and one Union Territory Andeman and Nicobar Islands. "People ask me what is Maiam, and if I am a Left or a Right. This is why I have kept my party's name 'Maiam', which means centre. The six hands in my party symbol represent six states and the star in the middle represents people," Haasan said. He said his party would work on providing quality education to all and diminishing caste and religion difference in the society. "We will work on many issues including these. We will set an example; fight corruption together. People have unfortunately sold their votes for merely Rs 6,000. People ask me if I will give them money. My answer is no, I will not. If you accept money, you cannot ask your representative for anything," he said. Haasan said that all these years he was in people's heart and now he wants to be a part of their residence, "I am the lamp in your house, which does not flicker in winds of corruption." When asked who his inspiration is -- Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi or Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, the former actor said he liked and was inspired from all, including Arvind Kejriwal, N. Chandrababu Naidu, Pinarayi Vijayan, and Barack Obama. Haasan said he wanted to start his party silently and move slowly towards campaigning. "There is no starvation for money, but for good-hearted people." On the Supreme Court's verdict on the Cauvery dispute, Haasan said Tamil Nadu could get water if there was good dialogue with Karnataka. "I can even get blood (donated blood, not violence)." He said his two daughters - Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan, who were present at the launch event, were free to decide whether to join him in this new journey or not.

Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam party symbol explained

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-kamal-haasan-gears-up-for-political-debut-33564">Kamal Haasan</a>, 62, is all set to announce his political party in Madurai today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I will start my rally from Rameswaram and will announce party flag and ideology in Madurai. All are invited,&quot; the actor was quoted as saying ahead of his trip to Madurai on Tuesday. He picked Madurai as it is the cultural and political capital of the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hassan said that he will address the crowd in his hometown in Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram and in Sivaganga on the way.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Several posters were put up along the route in&nbsp;Rameswaram. The one that caught everyone&#39;s attention was that of former president APJ Abdul Kalam. The posters tried to depict Haasan as the &quot;second Dr Kalam&quot;, as he aims to fulfill the dream of his &quot;hero&quot;. The posters around the city say&nbsp;&quot;Kamal is a second Kalam.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Kalam is an inspirational figure for me,&quot; Haasan was quoted saying earlier as he plans to start his political journey by evoking the legacy of Dr Kalam as they both belonged to the same district - Ramanathapuram. Kalam is still considered a political icon, known as the &quot;rocket man&quot; for many, Hassan clearly is trying to associate himself with Kalam as he begins his political journey. Haasan also seeks to attract the young generation who were tied to Kalam&#39;s ideas.</p>

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<p>Several posters were put up along the route from Rameswaram. (Others)</p>
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<p>Posters of him were also seen with other iconic leaders including rationalist leader Periyar and BR Ambedkar plastered across the streets of Madurai and Rameswaram.</p>

<p>Also, another poster showed him following Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s footsteps. He has always been vocal about his admiration towards Mahatma Gandhi. &quot;I am a big fan of Gandhiji,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hassan visited late president A P J Abdul Kalam&#39;s residence in Ramanathapuram and met&nbsp;the former president&#39;s brother and sister-in-law. He also visited&nbsp;Dr Kalam&#39;s memorial after the meeting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On visiting the late President A P J Abdul Kalam&#39;s residence, Haasan said, &quot;Glad to start my journey from a great man&#39;s simple abode.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Greatness can come from simple beginnings. Actually it will come only from simplicity. Glad to start my journey from a great man&rsquo;s simple abode. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/maiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#maiam</a></p>
&mdash; Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ikamalhaasan/status/966153339397222400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Several posters inspired by memorable roles the actor has played in films. &quot;Nammavar&quot; or &quot;our man&quot;, released in 1994, were&nbsp;most used.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Haasan said the colour of his politics is &quot;black&quot; and he is concerned about saffron colour. He said black in his politics reflects a Dravidian tone and the dark skin.</p>


Haasan plans to start his political journey by evoking the legacy of Dr Kalam as they both belonged to the same district - Ramanathapuram

Kamal Haasan, 62, is all set to announce his political party in Madurai today. "I will start my rally from Rameswaram and will announce party flag and ideology in Madurai. All are invited," the actor was quoted as saying ahead of his trip to Madurai on Tuesday. He picked Madurai as it is the cultural and political capital of the state. Hassan said that he will address the crowd in his hometown in Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram and in Sivaganga on the way. Several posters were put up along the route in Rameswaram. The one that caught everyone's attention was that of former president APJ Abdul Kalam. The posters tried to depict Haasan as the "second Dr Kalam", as he aims to fulfill the dream of his "hero". The posters around the city say "Kamal is a second Kalam." "Kalam is an inspirational figure for me," Haasan was quoted saying earlier as he plans to start his political journey by evoking the legacy of Dr Kalam as they both belonged to the same district - Ramanathapuram. Kalam is still considered a political icon, known as the "rocket man" for many, Hassan clearly is trying to associate himself with Kalam as he begins his political journey. Haasan also seeks to attract the young generation who were tied to Kalam's ideas. Several posters were put up along the route from Rameswaram. (Others) × Posters of him were also seen with other iconic leaders including rationalist leader Periyar and BR Ambedkar plastered across the streets of Madurai and Rameswaram. Also, another poster showed him following Mahatma Gandhi's footsteps. He has always been vocal about his admiration towards Mahatma Gandhi. "I am a big fan of Gandhiji," he said. Hassan visited late president A P J Abdul Kalam's residence in Ramanathapuram and met the former president's brother and sister-in-law. He also visited Dr Kalam's memorial after the meeting. On visiting the late President A P J Abdul Kalam's residence, Haasan said, "Glad to start my journey from a great man's simple abode." Greatness can come from simple beginnings. Actually it will come only from simplicity. Glad to start my journey from a great man’s simple abode. #maiam — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) February 21, 2018 × Several posters inspired by memorable roles the actor has played in films. "Nammavar" or "our man", released in 1994, were most used. Haasan said the colour of his politics is "black" and he is concerned about saffron colour. He said black in his politics reflects a Dravidian tone and the dark skin.

Ignited Minds: 'Kamal is a second Kalam' posters hit Madurai streets

<p>On Wednesday, the South Indian film star Kamal Haasan symbolically launches his new political party; he started a march from the memorial of the former president of India, late Abdul Kalaam in the southern fishing town of Rameswaram. The march is named as NaalaiNamadhey (Tomorrow is Ours) -- a phrase borrowed from the title of a blockbuster movie of the former chief minister and the late leader of the AIADMK party M.G. Ramachandran, fondly remembered by the people of Tamilnadu as M.G.R.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before launching his campaign, Kamal Haasan has met the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarai Vijayan, Chief Minister of Delhi and Aam aadmi leader Arvind Kejriwal, and other political leaders of Tamilnadu. A couple of days ago, he met and sought the blessings of Karunanidhi, the president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam. Karunanidhi is 94 and is totally inactive, unable to speak or move which means that he has almost disappeared from the political scenario of the state giving the reins of the party to his son and heir apparent, M.K. Stalin. He also met the superstar of the Tamil films Rajnikanth who has also announced his intention to start a political party of his own. He also sought the blessings of the former chief election commissioner T.N Seshan who ushered electoral reforms in India.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Though there had been speculations that Rajnikanth would be plunging into politics since 1996, Kamal Haasan has entered the fray only a few months ago. Following the death of Jayalalitha and the illness of Karunanidhi, there indeed is a political vacuum in the state which both these starters hope to fill. They seem to think that people of Tamilnadu are fed up with the two Dravidian parties and are looking for an alternative.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Sunday, Kamal Haasan met Rajnikanth, giving rise to the speculation that they may join to form a common endeavour. But Rajnikanth made it clear that he had no such idea while Kamal Haasan termed it as just a meeting between friends.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rajnikanth&rsquo;s fan base is much larger than that of Kamal Haasan and the fans of both the stars have been told to enroll membership for their respective political parties whose names, flags and even policies are yet to be pronounced.It is also too much to expect that all the fans will be voting for their matinee idols who are past their prime in the film industry.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan appears quite confused. He claims to be a rationalist and an atheist but is quick to deny he is anti-Hindu, saying that his family members, including his daughter Sruthi Hasan are strong believers in God. He says he is against Hindutva but says he may not hesitate to align with the BJP if it is in the interests of the people. He once donned the black shirt and called himself a follower of Periyar and was seen hugging Mr. Veeramani, the leader of the Dravidar Kazhakam. But now, Veeramani has strong words against him after he made his political ambitions clear.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan&rsquo;s brother Charu Haasan, in a recent television interview, said that Kamal Haasan can never win elections as the people of Tamilnadu would not vote for a Brahmin chief minister. Kamal Haasan looks too much of an elitist to attract rural voters. He lacks the oratorical skills and some times it becomes difficult to decipher his utterances. He says he is planning to collect 30 crores from his fans to run the party. Will his fans oblige?</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>While Rajnikanth has declared that he would contest elections without aligning with any party, Kamal Haasan has not said anything about his leanings. However, the DMK believes he will not cut into their vote bank but, eventually, he may align with them at least post elections. This explains the warm welcome accorded to him by Stalin when he went to seek the blessings of Karunanidhi in contrast to the coldness that prevailed during&nbsp; Rajnikanth&rsquo;s visit.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>These days screen image is not enough to win votes. Telugu star Siranjivi in Andhra, Vijayakanth and Saratkumar in Tamilnadu have learned bitter lessons in politics. Both the Dravidian parties have specialised in the art of bribing voters of Tamilnadu. Reality is both Rajinikanth and Kamalhasan will find it difficult to maintain their idealism.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</p>


These days screen image is not enough to win votes and Dravidian parties have specialised in the art of bribing voters.

On Wednesday, the South Indian film star Kamal Haasan symbolically launches his new political party; he started a march from the memorial of the former president of India, late Abdul Kalaam in the southern fishing town of Rameswaram. The march is named as NaalaiNamadhey (Tomorrow is Ours) -- a phrase borrowed from the title of a blockbuster movie of the former chief minister and the late leader of the AIADMK party M.G. Ramachandran, fondly remembered by the people of Tamilnadu as M.G.R. Before launching his campaign, Kamal Haasan has met the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarai Vijayan, Chief Minister of Delhi and Aam aadmi leader Arvind Kejriwal, and other political leaders of Tamilnadu. A couple of days ago, he met and sought the blessings of Karunanidhi, the president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam. Karunanidhi is 94 and is totally inactive, unable to speak or move which means that he has almost disappeared from the political scenario of the state giving the reins of the party to his son and heir apparent, M.K. Stalin. He also met the superstar of the Tamil films Rajnikanth who has also announced his intention to start a political party of his own. He also sought the blessings of the former chief election commissioner T.N Seshan who ushered electoral reforms in India. Though there had been speculations that Rajnikanth would be plunging into politics since 1996, Kamal Haasan has entered the fray only a few months ago. Following the death of Jayalalitha and the illness of Karunanidhi, there indeed is a political vacuum in the state which both these starters hope to fill. They seem to think that people of Tamilnadu are fed up with the two Dravidian parties and are looking for an alternative. On Sunday, Kamal Haasan met Rajnikanth, giving rise to the speculation that they may join to form a common endeavour. But Rajnikanth made it clear that he had no such idea while Kamal Haasan termed it as just a meeting between friends. Rajnikanth’s fan base is much larger than that of Kamal Haasan and the fans of both the stars have been told to enroll membership for their respective political parties whose names, flags and even policies are yet to be pronounced.It is also too much to expect that all the fans will be voting for their matinee idols who are past their prime in the film industry. Kamal Haasan appears quite confused. He claims to be a rationalist and an atheist but is quick to deny he is anti-Hindu, saying that his family members, including his daughter Sruthi Hasan are strong believers in God. He says he is against Hindutva but says he may not hesitate to align with the BJP if it is in the interests of the people. He once donned the black shirt and called himself a follower of Periyar and was seen hugging Mr. Veeramani, the leader of the Dravidar Kazhakam. But now, Veeramani has strong words against him after he made his political ambitions clear. Kamal Haasan’s brother Charu Haasan, in a recent television interview, said that Kamal Haasan can never win elections as the people of Tamilnadu would not vote for a Brahmin chief minister. Kamal Haasan looks too much of an elitist to attract rural voters. He lacks the oratorical skills and some times it becomes difficult to decipher his utterances. He says he is planning to collect 30 crores from his fans to run the party. Will his fans oblige? While Rajnikanth has declared that he would contest elections without aligning with any party, Kamal Haasan has not said anything about his leanings. However, the DMK believes he will not cut into their vote bank but, eventually, he may align with them at least post elections. This explains the warm welcome accorded to him by Stalin when he went to seek the blessings of Karunanidhi in contrast to the coldness that prevailed during Rajnikanth’s visit. These days screen image is not enough to win votes. Telugu star Siranjivi in Andhra, Vijayakanth and Saratkumar in Tamilnadu have learned bitter lessons in politics. Both the Dravidian parties have specialised in the art of bribing voters of Tamilnadu. Reality is both Rajinikanth and Kamalhasan will find it difficult to maintain their idealism. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Kamal Haasan launching new party but can he keep the idealism?

<p>As Kamal Haasan made his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/haasans-makkal-needhi-maiam-united-to-build-a-progressive-thamizh-nadu-33641">political debut with the launch</a> of his party&nbsp;Makkal Needhi Maiam(MNM) today in the holy city of Madurai, Delhi chief minister who was present on stage with the new political star, said it was a great political alternative to emerge in southern India.</p>

<p>&quot;I am great fan of&nbsp;Kamal Haasan,&quot; the Delhi chief minister said amid a loud cheer from the crowd.</p>

<p>&quot;Till today the people of Tamil Nadu were stuck, just DMK and AIADMK existed, both of them are corrupt,&quot; Kejriwal said, adding that MNM is an honest &quot;political alternative&quot;.</p>

<p>The Delhi CM told the crowd to vote for Haasan&#39;s party while sighting the example of his own party AAP which burst onto the scene five years ago.</p>

<p>&quot;My experience is if an honest government exists, anything is possible,&quot;&nbsp;he said, declaring that the new energy in the crowd will propel the newly-formed party to the top.</p>

<p>&quot;Only good intention is needed,&quot; CM Kejriwal said.</p>

<p>&quot;Next time you don&#39;t have to vote for a&nbsp;corrupt party, vote for Kamal Hassan instead,&quot; he declared as the crowd roared.</p>


The Delhi CM told the crowd to vote for Haasan's party while sighting the example of his own party AAP which burst onto the scene five years ago.

As Kamal Haasan made his political debut with the launch of his party Makkal Needhi Maiam(MNM) today in the holy city of Madurai, Delhi chief minister who was present on stage with the new political star, said it was a great political alternative to emerge in southern India. "I am great fan of Kamal Haasan," the Delhi chief minister said amid a loud cheer from the crowd. "Till today the people of Tamil Nadu were stuck, just DMK and AIADMK existed, both of them are corrupt," Kejriwal said, adding that MNM is an honest "political alternative". The Delhi CM told the crowd to vote for Haasan's party while sighting the example of his own party AAP which burst onto the scene five years ago. "My experience is if an honest government exists, anything is possible," he said, declaring that the new energy in the crowd will propel the newly-formed party to the top. "Only good intention is needed," CM Kejriwal said. "Next time you don't have to vote for a corrupt party, vote for Kamal Hassan instead," he declared as the crowd roared.

DMK, AIADMK are corrupt, vote for Kamal Haasan instead: Kejriwal at launch of MNM

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554">Kamal Haasan to launch political party </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554">today,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554"> invites people to &#39;create a new era&#39;</a></p>

<p>Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has invited people to &#39;create a new era&#39; even as he gears up to launch his political party on Wednesday in Madurai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Haasan began his political journey from the house of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Hours before launching his political party, he visited the residence of Kalam and interacted with his family members.</p>

<p>The actor will take out a rally from the house of Kalam at Rameswaram, culminating in Madurai where he will address a rally to announce the party&rsquo;s name and launch its flag.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-cs-assault-case-police-detains-aap-mla-prakash-jarwal-33546">Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: Police detain AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal</a></p>

<p>AAP legislator Prakash Jarwal was detained last night in connection with the alleged assault on the Delhi chief secretary at the chief minister&#39;s residence, police said.</p>

<p>He was picked up from his house at Deoli and detained. There is a possibility he will be arrested later, sources said.</p>

<p>Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has alleged that he was assaulted by AAP MLAs Amantullah Khan and others during a meeting at the Chief Minister&#39;s residence on Monday night.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-dated-bushra-when-i-was-still-his-wife-reham-khan-33552">Imran dated Bushra while I was still his wife: Reham Khan</a></p>

<p>&quot;Imran dated Bushra when I was his wife,&quot; said Reham Khan, the second wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan.</p>

<p>Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka in a private ceremony in Lahore on Sunday.</p>

<p>In an interview with The Times, Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-backs-ban-on-bump-stocks-on-semi-automatic-weapons-33551">Trump backs ban on &#39;bump stocks&#39; on semi-automatic weapons</a></p>

<p>Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban &quot;bump stocks&quot; -- an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one.</p>

<p>Trump also said school safety was a &quot;top priority&quot; for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject this week and also next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states.</p>

<p>Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-cancels-planned-meeting-with-us-vp-pence-33543">Secret Pence, North Korea meeting planned, then scrapped</a></p>

<p>US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un&#39;s sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics this month but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, US officials said on Tuesday.</p>

<p>&quot;North Korea dangled a meeting in hopes of the Vice President softening his message, which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during the Olympics,&quot; Pence&#39;s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said in a statement.</p>

<p>But after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions, &quot;they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down,&quot; Ayers said.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Kamal Haasan to launch political party today, invites people to 'create a new era' Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has invited people to 'create a new era' even as he gears up to launch his political party on Wednesday in Madurai. Haasan began his political journey from the house of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Hours before launching his political party, he visited the residence of Kalam and interacted with his family members. The actor will take out a rally from the house of Kalam at Rameswaram, culminating in Madurai where he will address a rally to announce the party’s name and launch its flag. Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: Police detain AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal AAP legislator Prakash Jarwal was detained last night in connection with the alleged assault on the Delhi chief secretary at the chief minister's residence, police said. He was picked up from his house at Deoli and detained. There is a possibility he will be arrested later, sources said. Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has alleged that he was assaulted by AAP MLAs Amantullah Khan and others during a meeting at the Chief Minister's residence on Monday night. Imran dated Bushra while I was still his wife: Reham Khan "Imran dated Bushra when I was his wife," said Reham Khan, the second wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan. Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka in a private ceremony in Lahore on Sunday. In an interview with The Times, Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician. Trump backs ban on 'bump stocks' on semi-automatic weapons Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban "bump stocks" -- an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one. Trump also said school safety was a "top priority" for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject this week and also next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states. Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history. Secret Pence, North Korea meeting planned, then scrapped US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un's sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics this month but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, US officials said on Tuesday. "North Korea dangled a meeting in hopes of the Vice President softening his message, which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during the Olympics," Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said in a statement. But after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions, "they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down," Ayers said.

WION News brief, February 21, 2018

<p>Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has invited people to &#39;create a new era&#39; even as he gears up to launch his political party on Wednesday in Madurai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Haasan began his political journey from the house of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Hours before launching his political party, he visited the residence of Kalam&nbsp;and interacted with his family members.</p>

<p>Haasan was warmly received by the family members of the former President.&nbsp;The actor slightly tweaked his schedule for the day, cancelling his visit to a school, after the local administration reportedly denied him permission to visit it.</p>

<p>The actor will take out a rally from the house of&nbsp;Kalam&nbsp;at Rameswaram, culminating in Madurai where he will address a rally to announce the party&rsquo;s name and launch its flag. According to sources close to the actor Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to attend the rally; Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar too have been invited, however, they could send video messages as they could not reach Madurai.</p>

<p>People in Tamil Nadu are waiting for to know who are the other party key members and whether the actor will announce their names at the meeting in Madurai today. While some source said that the actor will announce the list of office bearers including party&rsquo;s district committees at the rally in Madurai, other reports suggested that the actor likely to follow the path of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who was the single power centre in the party she ran until her death and unlikely project anyone. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="et">Tamil Nadu: Kamal Haasan visits APJ Abdul Kalam&#39;s house in Rameswaram. <a href="https://t.co/fp10vi4atL">pic.twitter.com/fp10vi4atL</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/966135845685288960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&ldquo;There are intellectuals, activists and anti-corruption groups guiding and advising him, but he is unlikely to project a second leader next to him in the initial stages,&rdquo; reports said quoting a source. The party will be in the line of &nbsp; Aam Aadmi Party and similar anti-corruption movements in Tamil Nadu. The party&#39;s name may not include words such as &lsquo;Dravida&rsquo; or &lsquo;Kazhagam&rsquo;. Some of the final designs selected for the flag are simple ones in two or three colours.&rdquo;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="tl">Tamil Nadu: Kamal Haasan leaves after visiting APJ Abdul Kalam&#39;s house in Rameswaram. <a href="https://t.co/m8NxR8V8he">pic.twitter.com/m8NxR8V8he</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/966141648366440448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hassan is expected to Ramanathapuram, his hometown, where he will address a gathering that is expected to be of 2,000 or more people</p>

<p>He will meet people at two more places on the way to Madurai, in Paramakudi and Manamadurai. Organisers expect a few hundred people in both places and he may also deliver speeches.</p>

<p>On the eve of the party launch, DMK working president M K Stalin ridiculed the actor&rsquo;s political venture. Taking a veiled dig once again at top actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan for their political ambitions, DMK Working President M K Stalin likened them to &#39;glamorous paper flowers&#39; which do not spread fragrance.</p>

<p>&quot;Owing to seasonal changes some flowers may suddenly bloom and later wither. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu&#39;s political arena too glamorous paper flowers may bloom,&quot; he said in an apparent reference to top actors Rajinikanth and Haasan&#39;s political entry.</p>

<p>The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, in a letter to party cadres said though &quot;such flowers may bloom, they do not spread fragrance,&quot; which is seen as an indication that the duo could not succeed and shine in politics though they could enter the fray.</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan was quick to retort to Stalin&#39;s jibe, telling reporters at Madurai that &quot;I am not a flower, I am a seed, sow me, I will grow.&quot;</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan, who has been meeting senior politicians in the last one week, including DMK&rsquo;s M Karunanidhi and CPI&rsquo;s R Nallakannu, besides Rajinikanth, has also visited Vijayakanth, the film-star who turned politician in 2005.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Asked why he did not meet any leaders of the ruling AIADMK, Kamal Haasan said he does not like this government. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to meet them.&rdquo;</p>


On the eve of the party launch, DMK working president M K Stalin ridiculed the actor’s political venture.

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has invited people to 'create a new era' even as he gears up to launch his political party on Wednesday in Madurai. Haasan began his political journey from the house of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Hours before launching his political party, he visited the residence of Kalam and interacted with his family members. Haasan was warmly received by the family members of the former President. The actor slightly tweaked his schedule for the day, cancelling his visit to a school, after the local administration reportedly denied him permission to visit it. The actor will take out a rally from the house of Kalam at Rameswaram, culminating in Madurai where he will address a rally to announce the party’s name and launch its flag. According to sources close to the actor Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to attend the rally; Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar too have been invited, however, they could send video messages as they could not reach Madurai. People in Tamil Nadu are waiting for to know who are the other party key members and whether the actor will announce their names at the meeting in Madurai today. While some source said that the actor will announce the list of office bearers including party’s district committees at the rally in Madurai, other reports suggested that the actor likely to follow the path of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who was the single power centre in the party she ran until her death and unlikely project anyone. Tamil Nadu: Kamal Haasan visits APJ Abdul Kalam's house in Rameswaram. pic.twitter.com/fp10vi4atL — ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2018 × “There are intellectuals, activists and anti-corruption groups guiding and advising him, but he is unlikely to project a second leader next to him in the initial stages,” reports said quoting a source. The party will be in the line of Aam Aadmi Party and similar anti-corruption movements in Tamil Nadu. The party's name may not include words such as ‘Dravida’ or ‘Kazhagam’. Some of the final designs selected for the flag are simple ones in two or three colours.” Tamil Nadu: Kamal Haasan leaves after visiting APJ Abdul Kalam's house in Rameswaram. pic.twitter.com/m8NxR8V8he — ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2018 × Hassan is expected to Ramanathapuram, his hometown, where he will address a gathering that is expected to be of 2,000 or more people He will meet people at two more places on the way to Madurai, in Paramakudi and Manamadurai. Organisers expect a few hundred people in both places and he may also deliver speeches. On the eve of the party launch, DMK working president M K Stalin ridiculed the actor’s political venture. Taking a veiled dig once again at top actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan for their political ambitions, DMK Working President M K Stalin likened them to 'glamorous paper flowers' which do not spread fragrance. "Owing to seasonal changes some flowers may suddenly bloom and later wither. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu's political arena too glamorous paper flowers may bloom," he said in an apparent reference to top actors Rajinikanth and Haasan's political entry. The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, in a letter to party cadres said though "such flowers may bloom, they do not spread fragrance," which is seen as an indication that the duo could not succeed and shine in politics though they could enter the fray. Kamal Haasan was quick to retort to Stalin's jibe, telling reporters at Madurai that "I am not a flower, I am a seed, sow me, I will grow." Kamal Haasan, who has been meeting senior politicians in the last one week, including DMK’s M Karunanidhi and CPI’s R Nallakannu, besides Rajinikanth, has also visited Vijayakanth, the film-star who turned politician in 2005. Asked why he did not meet any leaders of the ruling AIADMK, Kamal Haasan said he does not like this government. “I don’t want to meet them.”

Kamal Haasan to launch political party today, invites people to 'create a new era'

<p>Leading actor Kamal Haasan today formally entered politics by launching a party named <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-takes-political-plunge-launches-peoples-justice-party-in-madurai-33638">Makkal Needhi </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-takes-political-plunge-launches-peoples-justice-party-in-madurai-33638">Maiam</a> (People&#39;s Justice Party) at a public meeting in Madurai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I am not a leader, I am among the people. You are the crowd of leaders. Memorise the name. We have a responsibility from now one. This is not a one day thing. It is going to be a way of life,&quot; Haasan said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present at the meeting where the actor said he is &quot;going to create a people&#39;s government&quot; amid much fanfare.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also launched the party&#39;s website as well as Twitter and Facebook pages which have already become active.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Kamal Haasan&#39;s party - Makkal Needhi Maiam (Others)</p>
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<p>&quot;A prosperous Thamizh Nadu is my vision&quot; read the message on the party&#39;s new website. In perhaps an indication of where the party will stand on language politics, the website spelled the name of the state as &#39;Thamizh Nadu&#39;. That is significant since it is a departure from the formal spelling of &#39;Tamil Nadu&#39;, and underlines the syllable considered unique to the Tamil language, which is usually rendered in English as &#39;zh&#39;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Welcome to the official twitter handle of Makkal Needhi Maiam<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/maiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#maiam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/makkalneedhimaiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#makkalneedhimaiam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isupportkamal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isupportkamal</a></p>
&mdash; Makkal Needhi Maiam (@maiamofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/maiamofficial/status/966314986556411904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The leader of Makkal Needhi Maiam, a party with the people at it&#39;s core!<br />
Join us at <a href="https://t.co/s6zHqHUNdQ">https://t.co/s6zHqHUNdQ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakkalNeedhiMaiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakkalNeedhiMaiam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/maiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#maiam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isupportkamal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isupportkamal</a> <a href="https://t.co/NNH99IeDgG">pic.twitter.com/NNH99IeDgG</a></p>
&mdash; Makkal Needhi Maiam (@maiamofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/maiamofficial/status/966320555417743360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>#MakkalNeedhiMaiam soon started trending on Twitter as thousands of people took to the social media portal to express their thoughts on the major announcement.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">. <a href="https://twitter.com/ikamalhaasan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ikamalhaasan</a> is a real life hero. He is not only honest, he has a great vision. Kamal has the courage to speak against communal injustice in the country - <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArvindKejriwal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakkalNeedhiMaiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakkalNeedhiMaiam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalPartyLaunch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalPartyLaunch</a></p>
&mdash; Rajasekar (@sekartweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/sekartweets/status/966327003195453440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">ICONIC picture . Three legends sharing a stage at Kamal hassan political party launch. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakkalNeedhiMaiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakkalNeedhiMaiam</a> will surely bring change in Tamil Nadu under guidance of Shri Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArvindKejriwal</a> ji. <a href="https://t.co/1vduLQc2Hq">pic.twitter.com/1vduLQc2Hq</a></p>
&mdash; Sumit kadel (@SumitkadeI) <a href="https://twitter.com/SumitkadeI/status/966317763802222592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">No shawls! I will hug you, because I am one among you! No special thrones, just the chair!<br />
<br />
You and me, against the evil! I am just a tool! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakkalNeedhiMaiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakkalNeedhiMaiam</a></p>
&mdash; S Abishek (@cinemapayyan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cinemapayyan/status/966318964228804608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">To the man who survived 34 accidents in real life..i hope you will survive this one too <a href="https://twitter.com/ikamalhaasan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ikamalhaasan</a> ???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakkalNeedhiMaiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakkalNeedhiMaiam</a> <a href="https://t.co/AUFRFxojwt">pic.twitter.com/AUFRFxojwt</a></p>
&mdash; TrivikramFan (@4ever_PK) <a href="https://twitter.com/4ever_PK/status/966318738885705728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Welcoming Dr Kamal Hassan to TN Politics. Its indeed a welcoming moment for TN political as we finally see an intellectual addition to this insane crowd . With that said , Its a a huge loss to Indian Film Industry <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakkalNeedhiMaiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakkalNeedhiMaiam</a></p>
&mdash; Deepan Chakravarthy (@RDeepan_Chakr) <a href="https://twitter.com/RDeepan_Chakr/status/966313715413987330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Excellent time to start a new political party when there is a political instability in the state. Will see how his political career goes. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalPartyLaunch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalPartyLaunch</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakkalNeedhiMaiam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakkalNeedhiMaiam</a></p>
&mdash; Mohd Ibrahim Ahmed (@IbrahimAhmed455) <a href="https://twitter.com/IbrahimAhmed455/status/966317374860271618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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#MakkalNeedhiMaiam soon started trending on Twitter as thousands of people took to the social media portal to express their thoughts on the major announcement

Leading actor Kamal Haasan today formally entered politics by launching a party named Makkal Needhi Maiam (People's Justice Party) at a public meeting in Madurai. "I am not a leader, I am among the people. You are the crowd of leaders. Memorise the name. We have a responsibility from now one. This is not a one day thing. It is going to be a way of life," Haasan said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present at the meeting where the actor said he is "going to create a people's government" amid much fanfare. He also launched the party's website as well as Twitter and Facebook pages which have already become active. Kamal Haasan's party - Makkal Needhi Maiam (Others) × "A prosperous Thamizh Nadu is my vision" read the message on the party's new website. In perhaps an indication of where the party will stand on language politics, the website spelled the name of the state as 'Thamizh Nadu'. That is significant since it is a departure from the formal spelling of 'Tamil Nadu', and underlines the syllable considered unique to the Tamil language, which is usually rendered in English as 'zh'. Welcome to the official twitter handle of Makkal Needhi Maiam #maiam #makkalneedhimaiam #isupportkamal — Makkal Needhi Maiam (@maiamofficial) February 21, 2018 × The leader of Makkal Needhi Maiam, a party with the people at it's core! Join us at https://t.co/s6zHqHUNdQ #MakkalNeedhiMaiam #maiam #isupportkamal pic.twitter.com/NNH99IeDgG — Makkal Needhi Maiam (@maiamofficial) February 21, 2018 × #MakkalNeedhiMaiam soon started trending on Twitter as thousands of people took to the social media portal to express their thoughts on the major announcement. . @ikamalhaasan is a real life hero. He is not only honest, he has a great vision. Kamal has the courage to speak against communal injustice in the country - @ArvindKejriwal #MakkalNeedhiMaiam #KamalPartyLaunch — Rajasekar (@sekartweets) February 21, 2018 × ICONIC picture . Three legends sharing a stage at Kamal hassan political party launch. #MakkalNeedhiMaiam will surely bring change in Tamil Nadu under guidance of Shri Shri @ArvindKejriwal ji. pic.twitter.com/1vduLQc2Hq — Sumit kadel (@SumitkadeI) February 21, 2018 × No shawls! I will hug you, because I am one among you! No special thrones, just the chair! You and me, against the evil! I am just a tool! #MakkalNeedhiMaiam — S Abishek (@cinemapayyan) February 21, 2018 × To the man who survived 34 accidents in real life..i hope you will survive this one too @ikamalhaasan ???????? #MakkalNeedhiMaiam pic.twitter.com/AUFRFxojwt — TrivikramFan (@4ever_PK) February 21, 2018 × Welcoming Dr Kamal Hassan to TN Politics. Its indeed a welcoming moment for TN political as we finally see an intellectual addition to this insane crowd . With that said , Its a a huge loss to Indian Film Industry #MakkalNeedhiMaiam — Deepan Chakravarthy (@RDeepan_Chakr) February 21, 2018 × Excellent time to start a new political party when there is a political instability in the state. Will see how his political career goes. #KamalPartyLaunch #MakkalNeedhiMaiam — Mohd Ibrahim Ahmed (@IbrahimAhmed455) February 21, 2018 ×

Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam aims to build progressive 'Thamizh Nadu'

<p>Leading actor Kamal Haasan today formally entered politics by launching a party named Makkal Needhi Maiam (People&#39;s Justice Party) at a public meeting in Madurai. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was present at the meeting where the actor said he is &quot;going to create a people&#39;s government&quot; amid much fanfare. Haasan had said on Tuesday that he in entering politics &quot;only because the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party is bad&quot;.</p>

<p>Here are the top developments leading up to Kamal Haasan&#39;s party launch:</p>

<p>1. &quot;This is not a one day celebration. With this joy comes great responsibility. I am not going to tell you what to do, I&#39;m going to listen. I am duty bound for my Tamil motherland,&quot; Haasan said at the launch of his party today.</p>

<p>2. The actor began his political journey on Wednesday by visiting the house of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-is-a-second-kalam-posters-hit-the-streets-in-madurai-33619">A P J Abdul Kalam in Rameswaram</a>, describing the former president as his &quot;role model&quot;. He then undertook a 170-km-long road journey to reach Madurai where he announced the name of his party and unveiled its flag.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="ta">நாம் கனவு காண்கிறோம். ஒரு புதிய கட்சி, ஒரு புதிய பாதை, ஒரு புதிய கொள்கை. &lsquo;மக்கள் நீதி மய்யம்&rsquo;<br />
தமிழகம் விழித்தெழட்டும்.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#மய்யம்</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A8%E0%AF%80%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF_%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#மக்கள்_நீதி_மய்யம்</a><br />
<br />
official website: <a href="https://t.co/cql8kgqGkk">https://t.co/cql8kgqGkk</a><br />
fb: <a href="https://t.co/2Gz1xRg5vf">https://t.co/2Gz1xRg5vf</a><br />
twitter: <a href="https://t.co/J9ywXrunOb">https://t.co/J9ywXrunOb</a> <a href="https://t.co/pmq5wTGbwL">pic.twitter.com/pmq5wTGbwL</a></p>
&mdash; Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ikamalhaasan/status/966314176447594496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>3. To the supporters who had gathered at the village in Rameswaram, Haasan said he is no more a movie star but a lamp in the homes of people. &quot;Like the lamp in your homes you should protect me,&quot; the 62-year-old actor told the gathering on his way to Madurai.</p>

<p>4. Haasan was greeted with chants of &#39;Nammavar&#39;, which translates to our man in English. &quot;It is the name of a film. My fans are aware of it. It&#39;s owning me up, it&#39;s our man,&quot; the actor said.</p>

<p>5. Before starting his road journey, Haasan called on DMK president M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence to seek his blessings. Stalin was also present there.</p>

<p>6. Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/will-kamal-haasan-fill-the-void-in-tamil-nadu-politics-8511">Haasan&#39;s party in Tamil Nadu</a> does not have much political space to grow. Moily said DMK and AIADMK are dominant regional political parties in the state. &quot;So, I don&#39;t think there will be much (political) space left for other regional parties, unless they align with these mainstream regional parties (DMK and AIADMK),&quot; Moily said.</p>

<p>7. Bharatiya Janata Party&#39;s Tamil Nadu unit leader Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters that Kamal appeared to have &quot;started a political party to compete against someone&quot;, an apparent reference to superstar Rajinikanth who has also announced plans to launch his political entry. On the other hand, Dalit party leader Thol Thirumavalan told reporters that Kamal and Rajinikanth are agents of the BJP to affect DMK in Tamil Nadu.</p>

<p>8. Haasan had dropped hints of taking the political plunge in September last year. As the first step, the actor launched a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-confirms-his-debut-in-politics-to-launch-an-app-on-his-birthday-23566">mobile application</a> of his political party on his birthday on November 7, 2017. The actor said that the app will help him stay connected to his fans as well as help him book-keeping.</p>

<p>9. Kejriwal had called on Haasan in September, 2017, and had then said it was &quot;important at this point when the country is facing strong forces of corruption and communalism, all like minded people should talk to each other on these issues and work in tandem.&quot;</p>

<p>10. Besides Kejriwal, Haasan also met the chief ministers of Kerala and West Bengal, Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee, respectively, and &#39;superstar&#39; Rajinikanth ahead of his political foray.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Haasan had dropped hints of taking the political plunge in September last year.

Leading actor Kamal Haasan today formally entered politics by launching a party named Makkal Needhi Maiam (People's Justice Party) at a public meeting in Madurai. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was present at the meeting where the actor said he is "going to create a people's government" amid much fanfare. Haasan had said on Tuesday that he in entering politics "only because the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party is bad". Here are the top developments leading up to Kamal Haasan's party launch: 1. "This is not a one day celebration. With this joy comes great responsibility. I am not going to tell you what to do, I'm going to listen. I am duty bound for my Tamil motherland," Haasan said at the launch of his party today. 2. The actor began his political journey on Wednesday by visiting the house of A P J Abdul Kalam in Rameswaram, describing the former president as his "role model". He then undertook a 170-km-long road journey to reach Madurai where he announced the name of his party and unveiled its flag. நாம் கனவு காண்கிறோம். ஒரு புதிய கட்சி, ஒரு புதிய பாதை, ஒரு புதிய கொள்கை. ‘மக்கள் நீதி மய்யம்’ தமிழகம் விழித்தெழட்டும்.#மய்யம் #மக்கள்_நீதி_மய்யம் official website: https://t.co/cql8kgqGkk fb: https://t.co/2Gz1xRg5vf twitter: https://t.co/J9ywXrunOb pic.twitter.com/pmq5wTGbwL — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) February 21, 2018 × 3. To the supporters who had gathered at the village in Rameswaram, Haasan said he is no more a movie star but a lamp in the homes of people. "Like the lamp in your homes you should protect me," the 62-year-old actor told the gathering on his way to Madurai. 4. Haasan was greeted with chants of 'Nammavar', which translates to our man in English. "It is the name of a film. My fans are aware of it. It's owning me up, it's our man," the actor said. 5. Before starting his road journey, Haasan called on DMK president M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence to seek his blessings. Stalin was also present there. 6. Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said that Haasan's party in Tamil Nadu does not have much political space to grow. Moily said DMK and AIADMK are dominant regional political parties in the state. "So, I don't think there will be much (political) space left for other regional parties, unless they align with these mainstream regional parties (DMK and AIADMK)," Moily said. 7. Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit leader Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters that Kamal appeared to have "started a political party to compete against someone", an apparent reference to superstar Rajinikanth who has also announced plans to launch his political entry. On the other hand, Dalit party leader Thol Thirumavalan told reporters that Kamal and Rajinikanth are agents of the BJP to affect DMK in Tamil Nadu. 8. Haasan had dropped hints of taking the political plunge in September last year. As the first step, the actor launched a mobile application of his political party on his birthday on November 7, 2017. The actor said that the app will help him stay connected to his fans as well as help him book-keeping. 9. Kejriwal had called on Haasan in September, 2017, and had then said it was "important at this point when the country is facing strong forces of corruption and communalism, all like minded people should talk to each other on these issues and work in tandem." 10. Besides Kejriwal, Haasan also met the chief ministers of Kerala and West Bengal, Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee, respectively, and 'superstar' Rajinikanth ahead of his political foray.

Kamal Haasan takes political plunge, launches People's Justice Party in Madurai

<p>Actor Kamal Haasan will launch his political party today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He arrived in Rameswaram on Tuesday where he was given a rousing welcome by his supporters.</p>

<p>Haasan is scheduled to set out on a yatra from this island and launch the political party in Madurai, about 170 km from here.</p>

<p>His supporters raised slogans &quot;Hail Varungala Muthalvere&quot;(future chief minister) Hail Kamal Haasan&quot; as he arrived here in his native Ramanathapuram district in southern Tamil Nadu.</p>

<p>The 62-year old popular actor greeted the gathering outside the hotel where he was staying and said he would speak about everything on his political journey tomorrow.</p>

<p>He is expected to address the fishermen after vising former president A P J Abdul Kalam&#39;s house here and getting blessings from the late leader&#39;s elder brother tomorrow morning.</p>

<p>Haasan would also visit the memorial of Kalam here, his fan association sources said.</p>

<p>Later, he would leave for Madurai and address public meetings in Ramanathapuram, Manamadurai and Paramakudi, his home town.</p>

<p>While announcing his political tour last month, the actor had said he too shared the vision of Kalam who dreamt of a &quot;good Tamil Nadu.&quot;</p>

<p>By launching his tour from the residence of Kalam, he would be moving forward towards that goal, he had said.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, in a tweet today, Haasan welcomed people to attend his party launch to &quot;create a new era.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;I am going to explain (about my) new party and the gyst of our policies.. Please come, to create a new era,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;Our long journey is starting tomorrow. I am going to hoist our party flag at 6 PM at Othakadai grounds in Madurai,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend Haasan&#39;s party launch, the actor&#39;s camp said.</p>

<p>&quot;Kejriwal will attend the evening public meeting in Madurai tomorrow,&quot; sources close to the actor said.</p>

<p>The AAP supremo was also likely to address the meeting, they added.</p>

<p>Kejriwal had called on Haasan in Chennai in September 2017, when the award-winning actor had started dropping hints of taking the political plunge.</p>

<p>The Delhi Chief Minister had then said it was &quot;important at this point when the country is facing strong forces of corruption and communalism, all like minded people should talk to each other on these issues and work in tandem.&quot;</p>

<p>Besides Kejriwal, Haasan has also met the Chief Ministers of Kerala and West Bengal, Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee, respectively, DMK President M Karunanidhi and &#39;superstar&#39; Rajinikanth ahead of his political foray.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Actor Kamal Haasan will launch his political party today. He arrived in Rameswaram on Tuesday where he was given a rousing welcome by his supporters. Haasan is scheduled to set out on a yatra from this island and launch the political party in Madurai, about 170 km from here. His supporters raised slogans "Hail Varungala Muthalvere"(future chief minister) Hail Kamal Haasan" as he arrived here in his native Ramanathapuram district in southern Tamil Nadu. The 62-year old popular actor greeted the gathering outside the hotel where he was staying and said he would speak about everything on his political journey tomorrow. He is expected to address the fishermen after vising former president A P J Abdul Kalam's house here and getting blessings from the late leader's elder brother tomorrow morning. Haasan would also visit the memorial of Kalam here, his fan association sources said. Later, he would leave for Madurai and address public meetings in Ramanathapuram, Manamadurai and Paramakudi, his home town. While announcing his political tour last month, the actor had said he too shared the vision of Kalam who dreamt of a "good Tamil Nadu." By launching his tour from the residence of Kalam, he would be moving forward towards that goal, he had said. Meanwhile, in a tweet today, Haasan welcomed people to attend his party launch to "create a new era." "I am going to explain (about my) new party and the gyst of our policies.. Please come, to create a new era," he said. "Our long journey is starting tomorrow. I am going to hoist our party flag at 6 PM at Othakadai grounds in Madurai," he added. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend Haasan's party launch, the actor's camp said. "Kejriwal will attend the evening public meeting in Madurai tomorrow," sources close to the actor said. The AAP supremo was also likely to address the meeting, they added. Kejriwal had called on Haasan in Chennai in September 2017, when the award-winning actor had started dropping hints of taking the political plunge. The Delhi Chief Minister had then said it was "important at this point when the country is facing strong forces of corruption and communalism, all like minded people should talk to each other on these issues and work in tandem." Besides Kejriwal, Haasan has also met the Chief Ministers of Kerala and West Bengal, Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee, respectively, DMK President M Karunanidhi and 'superstar' Rajinikanth ahead of his political foray.

<p>Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend the launch of actor Kamal Hassan&#39;s political party tomorrow (February 21).</p>

<p>The Tamil megastar, 63, is all set to make his official entry into politics tomorrow when he plans to reveal his party name and unveil the party flag at a public meeting in Madurai.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/arvind-kejriwal-meets-kamal-haasan-in-chennai-20478">Arvind Kejriwal had met Kamal Haasan</a> in Chennai&nbsp;in September last year.</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan had said that many issues including corruption were discussed during the meeting. He also lauded Arvind Kejriwal for his fight against communalism and corruption.</p>

<p>Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/arvind-kejriwal-to-attend-launch-of-kamal-haasans-political-party-on-wednesday-33450"> Arvind Kejriwal to attend launch of Kamal Haasan&#39;s political party on Wednesday</a></p>

<p>&quot;I am very happy that he (Arvind Kejriwal) is here, have discussed issues including corruption,&quot; Kamal Haasan had said.</p>

<p>Arvind Kejriwal was equally happy at the outcome of the meeting and had said Kamal Haasan should enter politics.</p>

<p>&quot;Had an excellent meeting, we exchanged our ideas on the situation in the country and Tamil Nadu. He (Kamal Haasan) should enter into politics,&quot; the AAP chief had said.</p>

<p>&quot;We will continue to discuss and meet each other in future also,&quot; he had added.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Kamal Haasan is all set to make his official entry into politics tomorrow, when he plans to reveal his party name and unveil the party flag at a public meeting in Madurai

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend the launch of actor Kamal Hassan's political party tomorrow (February 21). The Tamil megastar, 63, is all set to make his official entry into politics tomorrow when he plans to reveal his party name and unveil the party flag at a public meeting in Madurai. Arvind Kejriwal had met Kamal Haasan in Chennai in September last year. Kamal Haasan had said that many issues including corruption were discussed during the meeting. He also lauded Arvind Kejriwal for his fight against communalism and corruption. Also read: Arvind Kejriwal to attend launch of Kamal Haasan's political party on Wednesday "I am very happy that he (Arvind Kejriwal) is here, have discussed issues including corruption," Kamal Haasan had said. Arvind Kejriwal was equally happy at the outcome of the meeting and had said Kamal Haasan should enter politics. "Had an excellent meeting, we exchanged our ideas on the situation in the country and Tamil Nadu. He (Kamal Haasan) should enter into politics," the AAP chief had said. "We will continue to discuss and meet each other in future also," he had added.

Arvind Kejriwal to attend launch of Kamal Haasan's political party on Wednesday

<p>Actor Kamal Haasan said today that he was entering politics &quot;only because the ruling AIADMK party is bad&quot;.</p>

<p>The actor said this was the reason that he was not meeting anyone from the AIADMK.</p>

<p>&quot;I am entering politics only because the ruling AIADMK party is bad, that is why I am not meeting any of them,&quot; the Tamil actor said in Chennai.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am entering politics only because the ruling AIADMK party is bad, that is why I am not meeting any of them: Kamal Haasan in Chennai <a href="https://t.co/DvS5qXgh3y">pic.twitter.com/DvS5qXgh3y</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965827855237156864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
Kamal Haasan is all set to make his official entry into politics tomorrow (February 21)&nbsp;when he plans to reveal his party name and unveil the party flag at a public meeting in Madurai.</p>

<p>The actor, who has frequently criticised the ruling Tamil Nadu government over corruption, launched a whistleblower&#39;s app on his 63rd birthday on November 7.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The actor said this was the reason that he was not meeting anyone from the AIADMK.

Actor Kamal Haasan said today that he was entering politics "only because the ruling AIADMK party is bad". The actor said this was the reason that he was not meeting anyone from the AIADMK. "I am entering politics only because the ruling AIADMK party is bad, that is why I am not meeting any of them," the Tamil actor said in Chennai. I am entering politics only because the ruling AIADMK party is bad, that is why I am not meeting any of them: Kamal Haasan in Chennai pic.twitter.com/DvS5qXgh3y — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2018 × Kamal Haasan is all set to make his official entry into politics tomorrow (February 21) when he plans to reveal his party name and unveil the party flag at a public meeting in Madurai. The actor, who has frequently criticised the ruling Tamil Nadu government over corruption, launched a whistleblower's app on his 63rd birthday on November 7.

Entering politics only because ruling AIADMK is bad: Kamal Haasan

<p>In what came as a surprise to many, two of the biggest stars in Tamil cinema and new political entrants Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan met at the former&rsquo;s residence at Poes Garden in Chennai.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNadu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNadu</a>: Earlier visuals of Kamal Hassan leaving from Rajinikanth&#39;s residence after their meeting, in Chennai. <a href="https://t.co/EpvdDMS8rb">pic.twitter.com/EpvdDMS8rb</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965170448978862080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The meeting, which lasted for less than 15 minutes, came ahead of &nbsp;Haasan&rsquo;s official entry into politics on February 21, when he plans to reveal his party name and unveil the party flag at a public meeting in Madurai.</p>

<p>The two actors addressed the media separately after the meeting.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It&rsquo;s a courtesy call, not a political meeting. I came to inform him about my political tour. He wished me good luck: Kamal Haasan after meeting Rajinikanth <a href="https://t.co/VrgXSkGDQP">pic.twitter.com/VrgXSkGDQP</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965161722385453056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&#39;&#39;It&rsquo;s a courtesy call, not a political meeting. I came to inform him about my political tour. He wished me good luck.&#39;&#39; said Kamal Haasan after meeting Rajinikanth.</p>

<p>Only time will tell, was all Kamal Haasan&#39;s response to a question on forming an alliance with Rajinikanth.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kamal (Haasan) wants to serve the people of Tamil Nadu. I pray to God that he attains success. He has not entered politics for fame or money but only to serve people of the state: Rajinikanth, after Kamal Haasan met him at his residence in Chennai <a href="https://t.co/Q3sVsZ9q9s">pic.twitter.com/Q3sVsZ9q9s</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965160012829085696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&#39;&#39;Kamal (Haasan) wants to serve the people of Tamil Nadu. I pray to God that he attains success. He has not entered politics for fame or money but only to serve people of the state,&#39;&#39; said Rajinikanth after meeting Kamal Haasan at his residence in Chennai.</p>


The meeting, which lasted for less than 15 minutes, came ahead of Haasan’s official entry into politics on February 21

In what came as a surprise to many, two of the biggest stars in Tamil cinema and new political entrants Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan met at the former’s residence at Poes Garden in Chennai. #TamilNadu: Earlier visuals of Kamal Hassan leaving from Rajinikanth's residence after their meeting, in Chennai. pic.twitter.com/EpvdDMS8rb — ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2018 × The meeting, which lasted for less than 15 minutes, came ahead of Haasan’s official entry into politics on February 21, when he plans to reveal his party name and unveil the party flag at a public meeting in Madurai. The two actors addressed the media separately after the meeting. It’s a courtesy call, not a political meeting. I came to inform him about my political tour. He wished me good luck: Kamal Haasan after meeting Rajinikanth pic.twitter.com/VrgXSkGDQP — ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2018 × ''It’s a courtesy call, not a political meeting. I came to inform him about my political tour. He wished me good luck.'' said Kamal Haasan after meeting Rajinikanth. Only time will tell, was all Kamal Haasan's response to a question on forming an alliance with Rajinikanth. Kamal (Haasan) wants to serve the people of Tamil Nadu. I pray to God that he attains success. He has not entered politics for fame or money but only to serve people of the state: Rajinikanth, after Kamal Haasan met him at his residence in Chennai pic.twitter.com/Q3sVsZ9q9s — ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2018 × ''Kamal (Haasan) wants to serve the people of Tamil Nadu. I pray to God that he attains success. He has not entered politics for fame or money but only to serve people of the state,'' said Rajinikanth after meeting Kamal Haasan at his residence in Chennai.

Kamal Haasan meets Rajinikanth ahead of his state tour

<p>Reacting to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cauvery-dispute-supreme-court-verdict-33045">Supreme Court verdict </a>in the Cauvery dispute, actor Kamal Haasan today said he was shocked at the reduction in the supply of water for Tamil Nadu.</p>

<p>The actor, however, said that the fact that the Supreme Court had said that water could not be owned by any one state was a consoling factor.</p>

<p>&quot;I am also shocked at the reduction in the supply of water. I have to get more details about the actual judgement but I think Supreme Court firmly said that water can&#39;t be owned by any state. That&#39;s a consoling factor,&quot;&nbsp;Kamal Haasan said.</p>

<p>Also read - <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/happy-with-cauvery-verdict-says-karnataka-cm-siddaramaiah-33054">Happy with Cauvery verdict, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah&nbsp;</a><br />
<br />
The Supreme Court directed Karnataka would get additional 14.75 &nbsp;thousand million cubic &nbsp;(TMC) water and Tamil Nadu would now get 177.25 TMC water instead of 192 TMC in its verdict on the 120-year-old dispute between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan is all set to announce his political party on February 21.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Reacting to the Supreme Court verdict in the Cauvery dispute, actor Kamal Haasan today said he was shocked at the reduction in the supply of water for Tamil Nadu

Reacting to the Supreme Court verdict in the Cauvery dispute, actor Kamal Haasan today said he was shocked at the reduction in the supply of water for Tamil Nadu. The actor, however, said that the fact that the Supreme Court had said that water could not be owned by any one state was a consoling factor. "I am also shocked at the reduction in the supply of water. I have to get more details about the actual judgement but I think Supreme Court firmly said that water can't be owned by any state. That's a consoling factor," Kamal Haasan said. Also read - Happy with Cauvery verdict, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah The Supreme Court directed Karnataka would get additional 14.75 thousand million cubic (TMC) water and Tamil Nadu would now get 177.25 TMC water instead of 192 TMC in its verdict on the 120-year-old dispute between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Kamal Haasan is all set to announce his political party on February 21.

Kamal Haasan 'shocked' with Cauvery dispute verdict

<p>Superstar Kamal Haasan, who is all set to announce his political party on February 21, has decided to bid goodbye to his film career. An illustrious career spanning over five decades, Haasan is considered a veteran in Indian cinema. While many had expected that the actor would quit films to concentrate on his political career, the official announcement was made only on Wednesday by the actor while speaking to a news channel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Except for the two films which are coming out(<em>Vishwaroopam 2</em> and <em>Indian 2</em>), there will be no more films for me,&quot; declared Haasan and added, &quot;I am earnest. I am not here to improve my bank account. I could have led a happy, retired, popular life. My decision to come into politics is, as I do not want to die merely as an actor. I will die in the service of people and that I have promised myself.&rdquo;&nbsp;<br />
<br />
When he was asked whether he would continue to be in active politics even if he lost the elections, Haasan said, &quot; &quot;I will have to do something for an honest living. But I don&#39;t think I am going to lose.&quot;<br />
<br />
&ldquo;I may not have been a political entity but we have been in social service for 37 years. In these 37 years, we have collected about 10 lakh loyal workers. They are with me for the past 37 years. At my instruction, they have engaged more and more younger people in our welfare movement over the years including about 250 lawyers. All would become volunteers,&quot; the actor added.<br />
<br />
Expressing his discontentment about the growing Hindu extremism in the country, the actor stated that he could not just keep complaining about it.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The 63-year-old actor, who is forming a new political party, said he did not associate himself with the saffron colour. The actor stated that the colour of his politics is &ldquo;black&rdquo; and he is concerned about saffron colour. He said black in his politics reflects a Dravidian tone and the dark skin.<br />
<br />
&quot;It&#39;s culturally not a bad colour for us Tamils.&quot;</p>

<p>Hassan called himself a fan of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and said, &quot;This country in all its diversity is what makes India for me.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
Haasan went on to clarify that he is not a Hindu hater. &quot;I cannot be hating Hindus or be the <em>virodhi</em><em> </em>(opponent) of Hindus as I have many in the family. I am just saying this kind of extremism is bad for our lot.&quot;<br />
<br />
On whether there would be any alliance with another superstar of Tamil cinema Rajinikanth, who has also announced his entry into politics, Haasan said if Rajinikanth&#39;s colour of politics is saffron then there would be no alliance.<br />
Haasan revealed that he had been thinking of getting into politics for the last 12-10 years but wasn&#39;t clear on how to go about it. Now that he has, he said, &quot;I can&#39;t keep complaining and get angry. You have to (get into politics). Unless you do that you cannot bring the reforms I am envisioning for Tamil Nadu.&quot;</p>


Vishwaroopam 2 and Indian 2 will the last two films for Haasan.

Superstar Kamal Haasan, who is all set to announce his political party on February 21, has decided to bid goodbye to his film career. An illustrious career spanning over five decades, Haasan is considered a veteran in Indian cinema. While many had expected that the actor would quit films to concentrate on his political career, the official announcement was made only on Wednesday by the actor while speaking to a news channel. "Except for the two films which are coming out(Vishwaroopam 2 and Indian 2), there will be no more films for me," declared Haasan and added, "I am earnest. I am not here to improve my bank account. I could have led a happy, retired, popular life. My decision to come into politics is, as I do not want to die merely as an actor. I will die in the service of people and that I have promised myself.” When he was asked whether he would continue to be in active politics even if he lost the elections, Haasan said, " "I will have to do something for an honest living. But I don't think I am going to lose." “I may not have been a political entity but we have been in social service for 37 years. In these 37 years, we have collected about 10 lakh loyal workers. They are with me for the past 37 years. At my instruction, they have engaged more and more younger people in our welfare movement over the years including about 250 lawyers. All would become volunteers," the actor added. Expressing his discontentment about the growing Hindu extremism in the country, the actor stated that he could not just keep complaining about it. The 63-year-old actor, who is forming a new political party, said he did not associate himself with the saffron colour. The actor stated that the colour of his politics is “black” and he is concerned about saffron colour. He said black in his politics reflects a Dravidian tone and the dark skin. "It's culturally not a bad colour for us Tamils." Hassan called himself a fan of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and said, "This country in all its diversity is what makes India for me.” Haasan went on to clarify that he is not a Hindu hater. "I cannot be hating Hindus or be the virodhi (opponent) of Hindus as I have many in the family. I am just saying this kind of extremism is bad for our lot." On whether there would be any alliance with another superstar of Tamil cinema Rajinikanth, who has also announced his entry into politics, Haasan said if Rajinikanth's colour of politics is saffron then there would be no alliance. Haasan revealed that he had been thinking of getting into politics for the last 12-10 years but wasn't clear on how to go about it. Now that he has, he said, "I can't keep complaining and get angry. You have to (get into politics). Unless you do that you cannot bring the reforms I am envisioning for Tamil Nadu."

Kamal Haasan set to quit film career to concentrate on politics

<p>They are actors par excellence and have featured together in one of the most beautiful love stories of all time. On Wednesday, Sridevi and Kamal Haasan revived Sadma memories as they met on the red carpet of an awards show.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The actor, dressed in a black kurta pajama and grey waistcoat, was posing on the red carpet when Sridevi and her husband Boney Kapoor walked in. The former co-stars greeted each other with a hug.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Sridevi and Kamal Haasan greeted each warmly at the red carpet as Boney Kapoor looked on. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION)</p>
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<p>Sridevi, Kamal Haasan and Boney Kapoor pose together on the red carpet. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION)</p>
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<p>The actor looked dapper in black kurta-pajama and grey jacket. Photo by Yogen Shah. (WION)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Sridevi wore a sequined outfit for the event. (WION)</p>
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<p>Later, Sridevi even honoured Haasan with the Hall Of Fame award. &quot; I am happy to receive the award from Sridevi, it was&nbsp;a big nostalgia trip.&rdquo; Apart from <em>Sadma</em>, which was originally made in Tamil and was called <em>Moondram Pirai,</em> the two stalwarts have worked in several other Tamil films including <em>Aadu, Puli </em><em>Aatham</em><em>, Aakali Rajyam</em> and <em>Satyavan Savithri.</em><br />
<br />
The event also saw Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and others in attendance.&nbsp;</p>


The two actors had a reunion of sorts on the red carpet.

They are actors par excellence and have featured together in one of the most beautiful love stories of all time. On Wednesday, Sridevi and Kamal Haasan revived Sadma memories as they met on the red carpet of an awards show. The actor, dressed in a black kurta pajama and grey waistcoat, was posing on the red carpet when Sridevi and her husband Boney Kapoor walked in. The former co-stars greeted each other with a hug. Sridevi and Kamal Haasan greeted each warmly at the red carpet as Boney Kapoor looked on. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION) × Sridevi, Kamal Haasan and Boney Kapoor pose together on the red carpet. Photo by Yogen Shah (WION) × The actor looked dapper in black kurta-pajama and grey jacket. Photo by Yogen Shah. (WION) × Sridevi wore a sequined outfit for the event. (WION) × Later, Sridevi even honoured Haasan with the Hall Of Fame award. " I am happy to receive the award from Sridevi, it was a big nostalgia trip.” Apart from Sadma, which was originally made in Tamil and was called Moondram Pirai, the two stalwarts have worked in several other Tamil films including Aadu, Puli Aatham, Aakali Rajyam and Satyavan Savithri. The event also saw Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and others in attendance.

Sridevi and Kamal Haasan just revived 'Sadma' memories at an awards show

<p>Putting an end to speculation about him joining hands with Superstar Rajinikanth to form an alliance, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan said that there was a hue of saffron in Rajini&#39;s politics and unless that changes, there won&#39;t be any alliance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While speaking at Harvard University, Haasan said,&#39;&#39;Alliance with Rajinikanth is unlikely as of now. He further said &#39;&#39;I hope Rajinikanth&#39;s politics is not saffron.&#39;&#39;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There is a hue of saffron in Rajni&#39;s politics. If that doesn&#39;t change then I don&#39;t see an alliance with him. We are good friends but politics is different: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalHaasan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalHaasan</a> (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/UnUpBYLxQ5">pic.twitter.com/UnUpBYLxQ5</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/962540273006981120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&#39;&#39;There is a hue of saffron in Rajini&#39;s politics. If that doesn&#39;t change then I don&#39;t see an alliance with him. We are good friends but politics is different,&#39;&#39; news agency ANI reported quoting Haasan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speculation has been rife over an alliance between the two after both announced their plunge into politics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When asked about forming an alliance with Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth recently responded in his inimitable filmy style saying &#39;&#39;only time will answer this question&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Haasan is likely to announce his political party&rsquo;s name on February 21 at Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s Ramanathapuram and begin a state-wide tour the same day. Christened &#39;&#39;Naalai Namadhe&#39;&#39;, the tour will see the actor-turned-politician crisscrossing the state to take stock of the issues faced by the people of Tamil Nadu. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Let&rsquo;s join hands to build a sustainable village. New TN begins with you. Visit <a href="https://t.co/aHwGLWPlEJ">https://t.co/aHwGLWPlEJ</a> to volunteer #naalainamadhe#maiam#TamilPride</p>
&mdash; Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ikamalhaasan/status/962537634437521408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The tour will be held in phases. The actor will begin the journey from Ramanathapuram &mdash; his hometown &mdash; and later visit people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai.</p>

<p>In January, Rajinikanth had extended his wishes to Haasan for announcing his political debut. &ldquo;I wish him all the best,&rdquo; 67-year-old had said.</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan also greeted &nbsp;Rajinikanth when he made an announcement about his political ambitions.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Speculation has been rife over an alliance between the two after both announced their plunge into politics

Putting an end to speculation about him joining hands with Superstar Rajinikanth to form an alliance, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan said that there was a hue of saffron in Rajini's politics and unless that changes, there won't be any alliance. While speaking at Harvard University, Haasan said,''Alliance with Rajinikanth is unlikely as of now. He further said ''I hope Rajinikanth's politics is not saffron.'' There is a hue of saffron in Rajni's politics. If that doesn't change then I don't see an alliance with him. We are good friends but politics is different: #KamalHaasan (file pic) pic.twitter.com/UnUpBYLxQ5 — ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2018 × ''There is a hue of saffron in Rajini's politics. If that doesn't change then I don't see an alliance with him. We are good friends but politics is different,'' news agency ANI reported quoting Haasan. Speculation has been rife over an alliance between the two after both announced their plunge into politics. When asked about forming an alliance with Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth recently responded in his inimitable filmy style saying ''only time will answer this question''. Haasan is likely to announce his political party’s name on February 21 at Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram and begin a state-wide tour the same day. Christened ''Naalai Namadhe'', the tour will see the actor-turned-politician crisscrossing the state to take stock of the issues faced by the people of Tamil Nadu. Let’s join hands to build a sustainable village. New TN begins with you. Visit https://t.co/aHwGLWPlEJ to volunteer #naalainamadhe#maiam#TamilPride — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) February 11, 2018 × The tour will be held in phases. The actor will begin the journey from Ramanathapuram — his hometown — and later visit people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai. In January, Rajinikanth had extended his wishes to Haasan for announcing his political debut. “I wish him all the best,” 67-year-old had said. Kamal Haasan also greeted Rajinikanth when he made an announcement about his political ambitions.

There is a hue of 'saffron' in Rajini's politics: Kamal Haasan

<p>With rumours rife over Tamil Nadu superstar Kamal Haasan allying with superstar Rajinikanth, the latter when asked about the possibilities of the alliance between the two, said &#39;&#39;only time will answer this question&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since the Superstar Rajinikanth and Ulaganayagan announced their political ambitions, rumours have been rife with both forming an alliance. However, with both actors skirting the issue, people are anxious about their future course of action.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Only time will answer this question: Rajinikanth on whether he will ally with Kamal Haasan. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rajinikanth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rajinikanth</a> <a href="https://t.co/HsarmnFcdN">pic.twitter.com/HsarmnFcdN</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961508495009992704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Meanwhile, Haasan will announce his political party&rsquo;s name on February 21 at Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s Ramanathapuram and begin a state-wide tour the same day. The tour will be held in phases. He will begin the journey from Ramanathapuram &mdash; his hometown &mdash; and later visit people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai.</p>

<p>Asked about the possibility of forming an alliance with Rajinikanth, Haasan said recently said: &ldquo;Our ideologies must match for the alliance to happen.&rdquo;</p>

<p>In January, Rajinikanth had extended his wishes to Haasan for announcing his political debut. &ldquo;I wish him all the best,&rdquo; 67-year-old had said.</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan also greeted &nbsp;Rajinikanth when he made an announcement about his political ambitions.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Asked about the possibility of forming an alliance with Rajinikanth, Haasan said recently said “Our ideologies must match for alliance to happen.”

With rumours rife over Tamil Nadu superstar Kamal Haasan allying with superstar Rajinikanth, the latter when asked about the possibilities of the alliance between the two, said ''only time will answer this question''. Since the Superstar Rajinikanth and Ulaganayagan announced their political ambitions, rumours have been rife with both forming an alliance. However, with both actors skirting the issue, people are anxious about their future course of action. Only time will answer this question: Rajinikanth on whether he will ally with Kamal Haasan. #Rajinikanth pic.twitter.com/HsarmnFcdN — ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2018 × Meanwhile, Haasan will announce his political party’s name on February 21 at Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram and begin a state-wide tour the same day. The tour will be held in phases. He will begin the journey from Ramanathapuram — his hometown — and later visit people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai. Asked about the possibility of forming an alliance with Rajinikanth, Haasan said recently said: “Our ideologies must match for the alliance to happen.” In January, Rajinikanth had extended his wishes to Haasan for announcing his political debut. “I wish him all the best,” 67-year-old had said. Kamal Haasan also greeted Rajinikanth when he made an announcement about his political ambitions.

'Only time will answer this question': Rajinikanth on alliance with Kamal Haasan

<p>Superstar Rajinikanth who recently entered politics said that he is ready to face the election if it happened in the next six months. &nbsp;The actor also welcomed and wished success to Kamal Haasan on his plans to launch a political party on February 21.</p>

<p>&quot;We will be ready,&quot; Rajinikanth told reporters outside his residence when asked about whether he and his yet-to-be-launched party will be ready to face elections if they were held in the next few months.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When asked about Haasan&rsquo;s latest move, the superstar said, &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t expect the announcement&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Rajinikanth also said only time would give an answer on whether the two of them would ally in their political journeys.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Let us see as and when we go forward (in politics). Only time will tell,&rdquo;&nbsp;Rajinikanth said.</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan on Tuesday night revealed his plans to undertake a state-wide tour from February 21, to understand people&#39;s problems and issues affecting them, starting it from his birthplace Ramanathapuram in south Tamil Nadu. In the first phase of the tour, he will also cover and interact with people in Madurai, Dindigul and Sivaganga districts.</p>

<p>&quot;At the commencement of the journey, I intend to announce the name of my political party along with the guiding principles we intend to live by,&quot; Kamal Haasan had said in the statement. &quot;Finally, let&#39;s question mediocrity and raise the bar on governance and welfare for the people of Tamil Nadu. This journey is intended towards that goal,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>&quot;Rajinikanth is for spiritual politics. Mine will be rationalist politics,&quot; actor Kamal Haasan told reporters late on Wednesday evening, after participating in a film function in Chennai.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


"We will be ready," Rajinikanth told reporters outside his residence when asked about whether he and his yet-to-be-launched party will be ready to face elections if they were held in the next few months.

Superstar Rajinikanth who recently entered politics said that he is ready to face the election if it happened in the next six months. The actor also welcomed and wished success to Kamal Haasan on his plans to launch a political party on February 21. "We will be ready," Rajinikanth told reporters outside his residence when asked about whether he and his yet-to-be-launched party will be ready to face elections if they were held in the next few months. When asked about Haasan’s latest move, the superstar said, “I didn’t expect the announcement”. Rajinikanth also said only time would give an answer on whether the two of them would ally in their political journeys. “Let us see as and when we go forward (in politics). Only time will tell,” Rajinikanth said. Kamal Haasan on Tuesday night revealed his plans to undertake a state-wide tour from February 21, to understand people's problems and issues affecting them, starting it from his birthplace Ramanathapuram in south Tamil Nadu. In the first phase of the tour, he will also cover and interact with people in Madurai, Dindigul and Sivaganga districts. "At the commencement of the journey, I intend to announce the name of my political party along with the guiding principles we intend to live by," Kamal Haasan had said in the statement. "Finally, let's question mediocrity and raise the bar on governance and welfare for the people of Tamil Nadu. This journey is intended towards that goal," he added. "Rajinikanth is for spiritual politics. Mine will be rationalist politics," actor Kamal Haasan told reporters late on Wednesday evening, after participating in a film function in Chennai.

Ready to face polls even in six months: Rajinikanth

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/on-his-63rd-birthday-kamal-haasan-launches-a-whistleblower-app-says-needs-time-to-launch-political-party-23660" target="_blank">Kamal Haasan</a> will announce his political party&#39;s name on February 21 at Tamil Nadu&#39;s Ramanathapuram and begin a state-wide tour the same day.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/welcome-welcome-kamal-haasan-on-rajinikanth-joining-politics-28154" target="_blank">Welcome welcome: Kamal Haasan on Rajinikanth joining politics</a></p>

<p>The tour will be held in phases. He will begin the journey from Ramanathapuram -- his hometown -- and later visit people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai.</p>

<p>It will mark Haasan&#39;s official entry into <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rk-nagar-bypoll-win-was-a-purchased-one-kamal-haasan-28524" target="_blank">politics </a>about which he has been making overtures since last year.</p>

<p>&quot;At the commencement of the journey, I intend to announce the name of my political party along with the guiding principles we intend to live by,&quot; Haasan said in a statement yesterday.</p>

<p>The veteran actor said he intends to challenge the status quo &quot;that has been plaguing the politics of Tamil Nadu for some time now&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;However, for this to happen, my thoughts and actions need to collectively resonate with the people,&quot; he said, adding that through the state-wide tour he wants to familiarise himself with the people&#39;s concerns.&quot;...To truly understand as to what the needs of my people are, what is afflicting them, what their aspirations are,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Haasan said the tour was &quot;neither an act of rebellion nor a gathering for glamour&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;This is a journey of discovery and learning and an opportunity for me to truly understand my people,&quot; said Haasan.</p>

<p>He exhorted the people of Tamil Nadu to &quot;question mediocrity&quot; and &quot;raise the bar&quot; of governance and welfare in the state.</p>

<p>&quot;This journey is intended towards that goal. I begin this journey with your support. Join hands with me to empower our country and state,&quot; said Haasan.</p>

<p>&quot;I will see you soon,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The tour will be held in phases. He will begin the journey from Ramanathapuram, his hometown, and later visit people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai

Kamal Haasan will announce his political party's name on February 21 at Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram and begin a state-wide tour the same day. Also read: Welcome welcome: Kamal Haasan on Rajinikanth joining politics The tour will be held in phases. He will begin the journey from Ramanathapuram -- his hometown -- and later visit people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai. It will mark Haasan's official entry into politics about which he has been making overtures since last year. "At the commencement of the journey, I intend to announce the name of my political party along with the guiding principles we intend to live by," Haasan said in a statement yesterday. The veteran actor said he intends to challenge the status quo "that has been plaguing the politics of Tamil Nadu for some time now". "However, for this to happen, my thoughts and actions need to collectively resonate with the people," he said, adding that through the state-wide tour he wants to familiarise himself with the people's concerns."...To truly understand as to what the needs of my people are, what is afflicting them, what their aspirations are," he said. Haasan said the tour was "neither an act of rebellion nor a gathering for glamour". "This is a journey of discovery and learning and an opportunity for me to truly understand my people," said Haasan. He exhorted the people of Tamil Nadu to "question mediocrity" and "raise the bar" of governance and welfare in the state. "This journey is intended towards that goal. I begin this journey with your support. Join hands with me to empower our country and state," said Haasan. "I will see you soon," he said.

Kamal Haasan to announce political party's name on February 21

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-row-allahabad-hc-issues-contempt-notice-to-censor-board-chief-prasoon-joshi-over-the-release-of-the-film-29766">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-row-allahabad-hc-issues-contempt-notice-to-censor-board-chief-prasoon-joshi-over-the-release-of-the-film-29766">&nbsp;row: Allahabad HC issues contempt notice to CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi over the release of the film</a></p>

<p>The Allahabad High Court issued a contempt notice to Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairman Prasoon Joshi on Tuesday over the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s Padmaavat.</p>

<p>The notice was issued after Joshi failed to respond to a representation given by a petitioner seeking a ban on the release of the film because it &quot;promoted&quot; Sati.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-netanyahu-on-a-days-visit-to-gujarat-today-29769">Modi, Netanyahu on a day&#39;s visit to Gujarat today</a></p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and wife Sara &mdash; in his home state Gujarat today.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
The Israeli PM will be the third international leader to be hosted in Ahmedabad in a span of over three years ever since Modi became PM in May 2014. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Both the Prime Ministers will start off the day by paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, where they would reach after conducting a roadshow.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-governments-spacex-powered-zuma-spacecraft-may-be-lost-report-29764">US government&#39;s SpaceX-powered Zuma spacecraft may be lost: Report</a></p>

<p>The fate of Falcon 9 rocket powered by EIon Musk&#39;s SpaceX which blasted into space on Sunday is unknown after US officials refused to confirm if they had lost contact with the military satellite.</p>

<p>US media widely reported this week that the rocket was probably lost even as US spokesmen in the Pentagon declined to comment due to the &quot;classified&quot; nature of the mission.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/brazilian-star-ronaldinho-retires-from-professional-football-at-37-29756">Brazilian star Ronaldinho retires from professional football at 37</a></p>

<p>Brazilian forward Ronaldinho has retired from professional football at the age of 37, according to his agent and brother Roberto Assis on Tuesday (16th January).</p>

<p>His brother Roberto Assis said in a column for Brazil media outlet O Globo and revealed plans for farewell tribute events following the 2018 World Cup.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-to-announce-political-partys-name-on-february-21-29755">Kamal Haasan to announce political party&#39;s name on February 21</a></p>

<p>Kamal Haasan will announce his political party&#39;s name on February 21 at Tamil Nadu&#39;s Ramanathapuram and begin a state-wide tour the same day.</p>

<p>The tour will be held in phases. He will begin the journey from Ramanathapuram -- his hometown -- and later visit people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai.</p>

<p>It will mark Haasan&#39;s official entry into politics about which he has been making overtures since last year.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Padmaavat row: Allahabad HC issues contempt notice to CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi over the release of the film The Allahabad High Court issued a contempt notice to Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairman Prasoon Joshi on Tuesday over the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat. The notice was issued after Joshi failed to respond to a representation given by a petitioner seeking a ban on the release of the film because it "promoted" Sati. Modi, Netanyahu on a day's visit to Gujarat today Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and wife Sara — in his home state Gujarat today. The Israeli PM will be the third international leader to be hosted in Ahmedabad in a span of over three years ever since Modi became PM in May 2014. Both the Prime Ministers will start off the day by paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, where they would reach after conducting a roadshow. US government's SpaceX-powered Zuma spacecraft may be lost: Report The fate of Falcon 9 rocket powered by EIon Musk's SpaceX which blasted into space on Sunday is unknown after US officials refused to confirm if they had lost contact with the military satellite. US media widely reported this week that the rocket was probably lost even as US spokesmen in the Pentagon declined to comment due to the "classified" nature of the mission. Brazilian star Ronaldinho retires from professional football at 37 Brazilian forward Ronaldinho has retired from professional football at the age of 37, according to his agent and brother Roberto Assis on Tuesday (16th January). His brother Roberto Assis said in a column for Brazil media outlet O Globo and revealed plans for farewell tribute events following the 2018 World Cup. Kamal Haasan to announce political party's name on February 21 Kamal Haasan will announce his political party's name on February 21 at Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram and begin a state-wide tour the same day. The tour will be held in phases. He will begin the journey from Ramanathapuram -- his hometown -- and later visit people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai. It will mark Haasan's official entry into politics about which he has been making overtures since last year.

WION news brief, January 17, 2018

<p>Actor Kamal Haasan on Thursday alleged that money power was behind TTV Dhinakaran&#39;s win in the December 21 RK Nagar bypoll, drawing sharp rebuke from the sidelined AIADMK leader who accused the star of maligning voters.</p>

<p>In a stinging article as part of his weekly series in the latest issue of Tamil magazine &#39;Ananda Vikatan,&#39; the veteran star described the bypoll, held due to the demise of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, as a &quot;stain&quot; on Indian democracy.</p>

<p>Responding to Haasan&#39;s salvo, Dhinakaran hit back saying the actor was making such allegations as he could not digest his win in the bypoll.</p>

<p>Amidst accusations of money distribution by rival sides - the AIADMK and the Dhinakaran camp - the former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MP, contesting as an independent, had trounced the ruling party candidate E Madhusudhanan.</p>

<p>He won by a margin of 40,000 votes, giving a jolt to the Chief Minister K Palaniswami led dispensation.</p>

<p>Both Dhinakaran as well as the ruling party have denied charges of money distribution during the hustings.</p>

<p>In his article, without naming Dhinakaran, Haasan said the RK Nagar bypoll win was a &quot;purchased&quot; one, alluding to alleged money distribution by the rebel camp.</p>

<p>&quot;RK Nagar bypoll is a big stain on Tamil Nadu politics; it is a big stain on Indian democracy. I won&#39;t call this purchased win even a scam....This is a day light crime,&quot; Haasan charged.</p>

<p>He recalled Election Commission rescinding the bypoll for this city segment when it was to be held in April last year following complaints of money distribution.<br />
Dhinakaran was the ruling party candidate then but was later sidelined by the Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues.</p>

<p>The chief minister and deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who was then a rebel leader, merged their respective factions in August last year.</p>

<p>Dhinakaran contested last month&#39;s election as an independent candidate and polled over 89,000 votes.</p>

<p>Haasan charged that both the &quot;independent&quot; and the &quot;ruling side fixed rates&quot; for voters.</p>

<p>Alleging that people had voted for money, Haasan, in the article, said &quot;you have been sold out.&quot;</p>

<p>Dhinakaran, responding to Haasan&#39;s allegations, hit out at the award-winning star, saying he had &quot;insulted&quot; and &quot;hurt&quot; the RK Nagar voters by making such allegations.</p>

<p>Haasan&#39;s charge was &quot;strongly condemnable,&quot; he told reporters.</p>

<p>&quot;This doesn&#39;t befit his age and experience. Under the garb of attacking the winner, he is attacking the people, who are mainly from poorer sections, saying they voted for money,&quot; Dhinakaran said.</p>

<p>He denied bribing the voters, saying, if at all money would have played a role in the electoral outcome, &quot;Two Leaves (AIADMK) would have won.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Whether you accept or not, people of RK Nagar have voted for me. Don&#39;t hurt those loveable people (by making such allegations),&quot; Dhinakaran said.</p>

<p>Questioning whether Kamal Haasan was a &#39;judge&#39; or &#39;God,&#39; Dhinakaran said the actor should have contested the bypoll to face the reality.</p>

<p>Apparently hitting out at the actor&#39;s political ambitions, Dhinakaran asked &quot;can such people survive in politics.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Politics is not some scripted movie where one can mouth dialogues written by someone else,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>On his victory, he said RK Nagar voters have &quot;recognised we are Amma&#39;s (Jayalalithaa) successors. Those who are apprehensive due to this are saying such things (of bribing the voters)&quot;.</p>

<p>Dhinakaran dared those making such allegations to reiterate them by holding a public meeting at RK Nagar.</p>

<p>Haasan, who has announced his intentions of entering politics, has been vocal on a number of issues ranging from corruption to right wing extremism.</p>


Dhinakaran hit back saying the actor was making such allegations as he could not digest his win in the bypoll.

Actor Kamal Haasan on Thursday alleged that money power was behind TTV Dhinakaran's win in the December 21 RK Nagar bypoll, drawing sharp rebuke from the sidelined AIADMK leader who accused the star of maligning voters. In a stinging article as part of his weekly series in the latest issue of Tamil magazine 'Ananda Vikatan,' the veteran star described the bypoll, held due to the demise of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, as a "stain" on Indian democracy. Responding to Haasan's salvo, Dhinakaran hit back saying the actor was making such allegations as he could not digest his win in the bypoll. Amidst accusations of money distribution by rival sides - the AIADMK and the Dhinakaran camp - the former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MP, contesting as an independent, had trounced the ruling party candidate E Madhusudhanan. He won by a margin of 40,000 votes, giving a jolt to the Chief Minister K Palaniswami led dispensation. Both Dhinakaran as well as the ruling party have denied charges of money distribution during the hustings. In his article, without naming Dhinakaran, Haasan said the RK Nagar bypoll win was a "purchased" one, alluding to alleged money distribution by the rebel camp. "RK Nagar bypoll is a big stain on Tamil Nadu politics; it is a big stain on Indian democracy. I won't call this purchased win even a scam....This is a day light crime," Haasan charged. He recalled Election Commission rescinding the bypoll for this city segment when it was to be held in April last year following complaints of money distribution. Dhinakaran was the ruling party candidate then but was later sidelined by the Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues. The chief minister and deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who was then a rebel leader, merged their respective factions in August last year. Dhinakaran contested last month's election as an independent candidate and polled over 89,000 votes. Haasan charged that both the "independent" and the "ruling side fixed rates" for voters. Alleging that people had voted for money, Haasan, in the article, said "you have been sold out." Dhinakaran, responding to Haasan's allegations, hit out at the award-winning star, saying he had "insulted" and "hurt" the RK Nagar voters by making such allegations. Haasan's charge was "strongly condemnable," he told reporters. "This doesn't befit his age and experience. Under the garb of attacking the winner, he is attacking the people, who are mainly from poorer sections, saying they voted for money," Dhinakaran said. He denied bribing the voters, saying, if at all money would have played a role in the electoral outcome, "Two Leaves (AIADMK) would have won." "Whether you accept or not, people of RK Nagar have voted for me. Don't hurt those loveable people (by making such allegations)," Dhinakaran said. Questioning whether Kamal Haasan was a 'judge' or 'God,' Dhinakaran said the actor should have contested the bypoll to face the reality. Apparently hitting out at the actor's political ambitions, Dhinakaran asked "can such people survive in politics." "Politics is not some scripted movie where one can mouth dialogues written by someone else," he said. On his victory, he said RK Nagar voters have "recognised we are Amma's (Jayalalithaa) successors. Those who are apprehensive due to this are saying such things (of bribing the voters)". Dhinakaran dared those making such allegations to reiterate them by holding a public meeting at RK Nagar. Haasan, who has announced his intentions of entering politics, has been vocal on a number of issues ranging from corruption to right wing extremism.

RK Nagar bypoll win was a 'purchased' one: Kamal Haasan

<p>Tamil megastar Kamal Haasan congratulated his colleague and close friend Rajinikanth soon after he announced his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajnikanth-announces-entry-in-politics-28150">entry </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajnikanth-announces-entry-in-politics-28150">in</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajnikanth-announces-entry-in-politics-28150"> politics</a>.</p>

<p>&quot;I congratulate my brother Rajini for his social consciousness and his political entry. Welcome welcome,&quot; Kamal Haasan said.</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan announced his entry into politics on his birthday last month but stopped short of launching a political party. The actor had said he would go on a tour of Tamil Nadu before officially launching a political party. Instead, he launched a mobile app for whistleblowers.</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan had earlier said that he would join hands with superstar Rajinikanth if the latter ever decides to enter politics.</p>

<p>&quot;Let a signal come from here (people). Let him (Rajinikanth) join first. We will talk. Politics for me is joining hands with you. Why wouldn&#39;t I join hands with him? In the field, we discuss everything with each other. You think we won&#39;t discuss this? Or do you think we will tell you all that we discuss?&quot;, the 63-year-old actor had said.</p>

<p>While addressing the Sivaji Ganeshan Memorial event in Chennai in October, Rajnikanth, 67, said that when he asked Kamal Haasan how to be successful in politics, the actor replied: &quot;Come along with me, then I will tell you.&quot;</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan, who has taken on the ruling AIADMK government for alleged corruption, shared the stage with DMK leaders at a party event in August. Legendary Tamil actor Rajinikanth was also present at the event, sparking rumours back then that the two leaders were planning to take the plunge in politics.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Tamil megastar Kamal Haasan congratulated his colleague and close friend Rajinikanth soon after he announced his entry in politics

Tamil megastar Kamal Haasan congratulated his colleague and close friend Rajinikanth soon after he announced his entry in politics. "I congratulate my brother Rajini for his social consciousness and his political entry. Welcome welcome," Kamal Haasan said. Kamal Haasan announced his entry into politics on his birthday last month but stopped short of launching a political party. The actor had said he would go on a tour of Tamil Nadu before officially launching a political party. Instead, he launched a mobile app for whistleblowers. Kamal Haasan had earlier said that he would join hands with superstar Rajinikanth if the latter ever decides to enter politics. "Let a signal come from here (people). Let him (Rajinikanth) join first. We will talk. Politics for me is joining hands with you. Why wouldn't I join hands with him? In the field, we discuss everything with each other. You think we won't discuss this? Or do you think we will tell you all that we discuss?", the 63-year-old actor had said. While addressing the Sivaji Ganeshan Memorial event in Chennai in October, Rajnikanth, 67, said that when he asked Kamal Haasan how to be successful in politics, the actor replied: "Come along with me, then I will tell you." Kamal Haasan, who has taken on the ruling AIADMK government for alleged corruption, shared the stage with DMK leaders at a party event in August. Legendary Tamil actor Rajinikanth was also present at the event, sparking rumours back then that the two leaders were planning to take the plunge in politics.

Welcome welcome: Kamal Haasan on Rajinikanth joining politics

<p><em>&quot;To be or not to be&quot; &quot;If chance will have me king it will crown me without my stir&quot;... Shakespeare</em></p>

<p>Superstar Rajinikanth&#39;s fans are celebrating his birthday on December 12 and expect him to announce the launch of his political party. He has been dithering and delaying far too long. Expectations reached new heights in May this year when in a meeting with his fans he asked his fans to be ready for a war and he would enter politics God willing. This was by far the most definite clue that he has made the decision. Since then he has been meeting political analysts, journalists and even politicians to discuss his plan. Many seem to have advised him that this was the right time for him to take a plunge as Jayalalithaa is dead and DMK leader Karunanidhi has become completely inactive at 94.</p>

<p>More than ten thousand of his fans even gathered in the southern city of Tiruchirappalli recently under the guidance of the leader of the non-political Gandhian movement, Tamilaruvi Manian, perhaps to test the waters. Rajinikanth has consulted Manian several times before. According to Manian, Rajinikanth has made up his mind to start his own party.<br />
He has delayed it too long. Another popular star Kamal Haasan, who has been making big noises against corrupt politicians of late, has already announced his decision to start a new party. He has launched a new app for enrolling members for his new party. Another filmstar, Vijay, with a sizeable fan following, is also toying with the idea of entering politics. In view of these developments, Rajinikanth has become silent of late. People have been waiting since 1996 when he openly opposed Jayalalithaa saying if people voted for Jayalalithaa even God would not be able to save Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa was defeated&nbsp; in the election. But her defeat could not be attributed to Rajinikanth&#39;s campaign alone. People were highly dssatified with her regime following allegations of corruption and misrule. It was time when people of Tamil Nadu were looking for an alternative to both the Dravidian parties and the then prime minister Narasimha Rao openly invited him to join the Congress party. He dithered perhaps he had a brilliant film career ahead. But it should be noted that Jayalalithaa staged a comeback in the 1998 parliamentary elections winning 18 seats despite Rajinikanth&rsquo;s campaign against her.</p>

<p>He now seems to have realised that celebrity status alone can no longer win elections (he said this in a function to inaugurate a statue of Sivaji Ganesan in which Kamal Haasan was also present). True, he has the biggest fan following but can it be converted into votes? His fans have become older and more mature to vote for a filmstar who has no political background. All these years, he has been desisting from expressing his views on any political issue concerning the common man. His opponents say that he is a non Tamil. He is a Maharashtrian from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu should be ruled only by a Tamil. Analysts say that he is too much of a gentleman and lacks the cunning and deceit that have become the essential qualities of a modern day politician and hence will find it difficult to survive in politics. His superstar image alone is not enough to sustain in politics of intrigues. He cannot be compared to the late political giant MG Ramachandran who was nurtured and brought up by the DMK till he outgrew it.</p>

<p>MG Ramachandran very carefully nurtured his own pro-poor and pro-people image, judiciously selecting his film roles and pitched it right when the dissatisfaction against Karunanidhi&#39;s rule was at its peak. He won and till his death none could beat him politically. Jayalalithaa, who took over his party, was lucky to forge an alliance with the Congress in 1991 and catapulted to power by a sympathy wave created by the assassination of the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. The blame was squarely on the DMK which the people rightly or wrongly thought was responsible for allowing Sri Lankan LTTE to operate in Tamil Nadu.</p>

<p>People are becoming more and more politically aware to confuse the reel image with the real image. Actor Vijayakanthi who started his own party should be regretting now with his party totally in a shambles. In the past, the doyen Sivaji Ganesan who too had a large fan following could not make it in politics.</p>

<p>Rajinikanth&#39;s critics say that he usually makes such noises just before the release of his films which help them to become hits. His two films - Kaala and Entiran - are due for release shortly.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)</em></p>


Rajinikanth seems to have realised that celebrity status alone can no longer win elections. His fans have become older and more mature to vote for a filmstar who has no political background.

"To be or not to be" "If chance will have me king it will crown me without my stir"... Shakespeare Superstar Rajinikanth's fans are celebrating his birthday on December 12 and expect him to announce the launch of his political party. He has been dithering and delaying far too long. Expectations reached new heights in May this year when in a meeting with his fans he asked his fans to be ready for a war and he would enter politics God willing. This was by far the most definite clue that he has made the decision. Since then he has been meeting political analysts, journalists and even politicians to discuss his plan. Many seem to have advised him that this was the right time for him to take a plunge as Jayalalithaa is dead and DMK leader Karunanidhi has become completely inactive at 94. More than ten thousand of his fans even gathered in the southern city of Tiruchirappalli recently under the guidance of the leader of the non-political Gandhian movement, Tamilaruvi Manian, perhaps to test the waters. Rajinikanth has consulted Manian several times before. According to Manian, Rajinikanth has made up his mind to start his own party. He has delayed it too long. Another popular star Kamal Haasan, who has been making big noises against corrupt politicians of late, has already announced his decision to start a new party. He has launched a new app for enrolling members for his new party. Another filmstar, Vijay, with a sizeable fan following, is also toying with the idea of entering politics. In view of these developments, Rajinikanth has become silent of late. People have been waiting since 1996 when he openly opposed Jayalalithaa saying if people voted for Jayalalithaa even God would not be able to save Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa was defeated in the election. But her defeat could not be attributed to Rajinikanth's campaign alone. People were highly dssatified with her regime following allegations of corruption and misrule. It was time when people of Tamil Nadu were looking for an alternative to both the Dravidian parties and the then prime minister Narasimha Rao openly invited him to join the Congress party. He dithered perhaps he had a brilliant film career ahead. But it should be noted that Jayalalithaa staged a comeback in the 1998 parliamentary elections winning 18 seats despite Rajinikanth’s campaign against her. He now seems to have realised that celebrity status alone can no longer win elections (he said this in a function to inaugurate a statue of Sivaji Ganesan in which Kamal Haasan was also present). True, he has the biggest fan following but can it be converted into votes? His fans have become older and more mature to vote for a filmstar who has no political background. All these years, he has been desisting from expressing his views on any political issue concerning the common man. His opponents say that he is a non Tamil. He is a Maharashtrian from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu should be ruled only by a Tamil. Analysts say that he is too much of a gentleman and lacks the cunning and deceit that have become the essential qualities of a modern day politician and hence will find it difficult to survive in politics. His superstar image alone is not enough to sustain in politics of intrigues. He cannot be compared to the late political giant MG Ramachandran who was nurtured and brought up by the DMK till he outgrew it. MG Ramachandran very carefully nurtured his own pro-poor and pro-people image, judiciously selecting his film roles and pitched it right when the dissatisfaction against Karunanidhi's rule was at its peak. He won and till his death none could beat him politically. Jayalalithaa, who took over his party, was lucky to forge an alliance with the Congress in 1991 and catapulted to power by a sympathy wave created by the assassination of the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. The blame was squarely on the DMK which the people rightly or wrongly thought was responsible for allowing Sri Lankan LTTE to operate in Tamil Nadu. People are becoming more and more politically aware to confuse the reel image with the real image. Actor Vijayakanthi who started his own party should be regretting now with his party totally in a shambles. In the past, the doyen Sivaji Ganesan who too had a large fan following could not make it in politics. Rajinikanth's critics say that he usually makes such noises just before the release of his films which help them to become hits. His two films - Kaala and Entiran - are due for release shortly. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

Opinion: What Rajinikanth has to learn before joining politics

<p>Known to speak his mind on raging issues, superstar Kamal Haasan took to Twitter to comment on the ongoing controversy around Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s <em>Padmavati</em>.&nbsp;<br />
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Haasan took to Twitter to condemn the protests and the threats that the film&#39;s director and its leading heroine, Deepika Padukone have received. Haasan tweeted, &quot; I want Ms.Deepika&#39;s head.. saved. Respect it more than her body.Even more her freedom. Do not deny her that.Many communities have apposed my films.Extremism in any debate is deplorable. Wake up cerebral India.Time to think. We&#39;ve said enough. Listen Ma Bharat(Sic).&quot;<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I wantMs.Deepika&#39;s head.. saved. Respect it more than her body.Even more her freedom. Do not deny her that.Many communities have apposed my films.Extremism in any debate is deplorable. Wake up cerebral India.Time to think. We&#39;ve said enough. Listen Ma Bharat</p>
&mdash; Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ikamalhaasan/status/932655804922019840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Haasan&#39;s tweets was in reaction to Haryana BJP chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu&#39; s threat to the actress. Suraj announced a bounty of Rs 10 crore on the heads of Bhansali and Deepika. The comment was made after a Meerut resident from the Kshatriya community announced a reward of Rs 5 crore for beheading these celebrities.<br />
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Haasan&#39;s films&nbsp;have created a similar&nbsp;political storm in the past and the actor has always been vocal about the importance of cinema in society.&nbsp;<br />
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Back in 2013, his film <em>Vishwaroopam</em> was banned by the Tamil Nadu government after he was accused of showing the members of Muslim community in a bad light in the film. The allegations were made against his film even before watching it, similar to the <em>Padmavati</em> row. Haasan&#39;s <em>Hey Ram</em> also faced severe criticism as many felt it was anti-Gandhi.</p>


Kamal Haasan took to Twitter to comment on the ongoing controversy around Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati.?

Known to speak his mind on raging issues, superstar Kamal Haasan took to Twitter to comment on the ongoing controversy around Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati. Haasan took to Twitter to condemn the protests and the threats that the film's director and its leading heroine, Deepika Padukone have received. Haasan tweeted, " I want Ms.Deepika's head.. saved. Respect it more than her body.Even more her freedom. Do not deny her that.Many communities have apposed my films.Extremism in any debate is deplorable. Wake up cerebral India.Time to think. We've said enough. Listen Ma Bharat(Sic)." I wantMs.Deepika's head.. saved. Respect it more than her body.Even more her freedom. Do not deny her that.Many communities have apposed my films.Extremism in any debate is deplorable. Wake up cerebral India.Time to think. We've said enough. Listen Ma Bharat — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) November 20, 2017 × Haasan's tweets was in reaction to Haryana BJP chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu' s threat to the actress. Suraj announced a bounty of Rs 10 crore on the heads of Bhansali and Deepika. The comment was made after a Meerut resident from the Kshatriya community announced a reward of Rs 5 crore for beheading these celebrities. Haasan's films have created a similar political storm in the past and the actor has always been vocal about the importance of cinema in society. Back in 2013, his film Vishwaroopam was banned by the Tamil Nadu government after he was accused of showing the members of Muslim community in a bad light in the film. The allegations were made against his film even before watching it, similar to the Padmavati row. Haasan's Hey Ram also faced severe criticism as many felt it was anti-Gandhi.

Kamal Haasan on 'Padmavati' row: I want Deepika's head...saved

<p>Actor Kamal Haasan, who recently launched an app as an interface between himself and his fans, said he has received donations and letters from his fans but clarified that he would return the money since it was &quot;illegal&quot;.</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan, 63, said his fans had given him Rs 30 crores &quot;for the welfare of people&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;People have started sending me letters and money. But if I accept it now, it is illegal and hence I am sending them back,&quot; India Today quoted the actor as saying in his latest weekly column in a Tamil magazine.</p>

<p>Kamal Haasan, who had<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/on-his-63rd-birthday-kamal-haasan-launches-a-whistleblower-app-says-needs-time-to-launch-political-party-23660"> said he was keen on joining politics</a> but stopped short of floating his political party on his birthday on November 7, said he wanted to &nbsp;&quot;create the fundamentals before accepting the money.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Don&#39;t think that I&#39;m stepping back. I want to create the fundamentals before accepting the money.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The moment people started sending the money itself, the political party had begun. But I need to create proper infrastructure so that even after me, this movement should continue,&quot; he wrote.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The actor also wrote that he &quot;would not hesitate to come to Varanasi&quot;, Lok Sabha constituency of prime minister Narendra Modi, if that is what the people wanted.</p>

<p>&nbsp;&quot;I have started my journey to meet the people and I would take this as a part of it. If they want me to come to Varanasi, I would not hesitate. I have been there while shooting for &#39;Hey Ram&#39;,&quot; India Today quoted the actor as saying.<br />
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The Tamil megastar said he has received donations and letters from his fans but clarified that he would return the money since it was 'illegal'

Actor Kamal Haasan, who recently launched an app as an interface between himself and his fans, said he has received donations and letters from his fans but clarified that he would return the money since it was "illegal". Kamal Haasan, 63, said his fans had given him Rs 30 crores "for the welfare of people" "People have started sending me letters and money. But if I accept it now, it is illegal and hence I am sending them back," India Today quoted the actor as saying in his latest weekly column in a Tamil magazine. Kamal Haasan, who had said he was keen on joining politics but stopped short of floating his political party on his birthday on November 7, said he wanted to "create the fundamentals before accepting the money." "Don't think that I'm stepping back. I want to create the fundamentals before accepting the money." "The moment people started sending the money itself, the political party had begun. But I need to create proper infrastructure so that even after me, this movement should continue," he wrote. The actor also wrote that he "would not hesitate to come to Varanasi", Lok Sabha constituency of prime minister Narendra Modi, if that is what the people wanted. "I have started my journey to meet the people and I would take this as a part of it. If they want me to come to Varanasi, I would not hesitate. I have been there while shooting for 'Hey Ram'," India Today quoted the actor as saying.

Will return donations, go to Varanasi if people want: Kamal Haasan

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