Genie in a Bottle

Rajini once asked his fans "modi pakkalama (shall we enter the fight)?" His fans said yes. Then he announced to form a party called the Rajini Munnetra Kazhagam (RMK) and he wanted to have a campaign manager and an election symbol. A week later I had responded to call for the campaign manager for RMK for the forthcoming Tamilnadu elections of 2021.

Interview with Rajini (some excerpts)

Rajini: why the genie in a bottle as the election symbol?

Me: kelungal, kodukkapadum (ask and you shall get)

Rajini: sounds like from Bible.

Me: biblical connotation, in Islam "God says call on me and I shall answer you." Also sounds a bit like Gita Upadesh.

Rajini: Magizchi (pleased). You are recruited.

As the word got out about the election symbol chosen, critics said it was all gas. Some said "it was about wishful thinking." I told Rajini the objective achieved. The genie in a bottle became a household topic in Tamilnadu. "What is next" Rajini asked me.

I said "Margazhi month (Dec 15-Jan 15) ending with Pongal is the best month in terms of temperature. All the city sabhas would reverberate with recitals Carnatic, bhajans and dance. We should launch our Rajini festival during this month. Rajini said "dhool" meaning the idea will kick up a storm.

Rajini fan clubs swung into action. Opposition parties got alarmed. They cautioned about COVID spread. Rajini came on the Tamil TV channels at 9 Pm and issued a strict warning to COVID: "don't touch my fans and added for good measure that if I say it once it is equivalent to saying it one hundred times." Tamil TV channels kept repeating the warning.

A medical miracle happened COVID did not surge. WHO and Harvard sent a team to study this extraordinary phenomenon. I told Rajini that half the battle was already won. He said once again "magizchi."

Beginning 15th December, Tamilnadu donned a festival look. Forgotten was COVID and all the promises about the vaccination. In every locality Rajini fan clubs hit the streets. The fans enacted scenes with Rajini dialogues. The song "Annathe irangitar, vote podu vote podu" (a modified version of Kamal song which means Brother has jumped into the ring, vote for him) reverberated the streets.

In Tiruppur and Erode the textile sector swung into action. Lungis, caps, angavastra, t-shirts got produced and sold off like hot pakoras. Rajini miracle has already begun.

Tamil historians exclaimed that never in the history of Tamilnadu right from the Sangam period till 2020 Tamilagam (Tamil region) has ever seen such extraordinary gaiety. Tamil immigrants in the US not to be left behind organized "Vanakkam Thalaiva" and when Kamala Chitthi came dressed in lungi and tees hell broke loose and the entire audience danced to the tune of lungi dance. Opposition already admitted defeat. Tell-tale signs of MGR rule was already there with just a minor difference with R not referring to Ramachandran but Rajini.

Still some brave opposition members said that Rajini will not be able to keep us his promises. The fan clubs retorted that Rajini was not Gajini and promises will be kept.

Then I launched a slogan competition with the reward that the prize winner will get to campaign with Rajini himself. A few prize- winning entries were as follows:

1. If anyone can, only Rajini Can.

2. Rajini is not Gajini. Promises will be kept.

3. Rajini, for masses you are the energy

Amit bhai flew from Delhi. Rajini met him and said "Nan chair venumnu nenachachu. Discussion edhukku? (I have thought of taking the chair, why then the discussion?). Opposition other than from Tamilnadu rejoiced in the snub.

Sena wanted to pay a tribute to Rajini as he was a Marathi Manu. It called for a Bollywood Nite. It was an extra-ordinary event and NASA thought it was some celestial event. The King Khan paraphrased Einstein and said "many future generations would hardly ever believe that such a superstar ever walked on earth."

Then Narendra 'modavandharu' (came to fight). Rajini fans jammed all roads from the airport to the city. Narendra just flew back fuming.

Pitchai put up a Google Doodle to commemorate the event with a gif of Rajini.

Time came when the Election Commission announced dates for filing of nomination. Rajini fans did an out of the world but a peaceful coup of the operations. They lined up the previous night in large numbers to file nominations. Every plant, animal was used as election symbols. Opposition members didn't get their chance to file their nomination papers. Opposition filed a petition in SC and the SC called for a 'tatkal" hearing. Rajini's lawyer made a single line statement "Makkal viruppam, Mahendran's viruppam (people's wish is the God's wish). SC got the point and anyway it leans on whichever way the power swings. SC said it was an extraordinary situation but could not find anything wrong legally with what had happened.

Once the nomination date was over most of the candidates withdrew the nomination in favour of those nominated by Rajini. All of them won the elections unopposed. World got stunned and exclaimed that the phenomenon was quite demo 'crazy.' Rajini called it "fighting without fighting."

In an extraordinary move Rajini called for a coalition government and asked the main opposition leaders to join the government and choose their portfolio. He said "namma ellorum Tamilnadu munnetrathukku padupaduvom (we all join together to make Tamilnadu prosper)."

Entire Tamilnadu reverberated with the chorus of" Vazhga Tamilnadu, Vazhga Rajini (hail Tamilnadu and hail Rajini)."

Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar, Annadurai and Kamaraj from the heavens showered flower petals from the cosmos.

Rajini, the boss has arrived. In his first speech as the Chief Minister he said "we will create a new Tamilnadu, that is casteless, rapeless,respects all religion and Gods, where the last man will not go hungry ever, where we will respect nature and ensure that the pancha bhutas (five elements) are conserved for all generations to come." Bharathi's "pudiyadhor ulagam seivom" (we will create a new world) hit the waves tuned by ARRahman. The song went on to become the Tamil anthem.