Simple, Generous Vijayakanth Rewrote Rules of Tamil Cinema and Dravida Politics

There is a Tamil word that has no equivalent in the other languages I know: Vallal. That ancient word loosely translates as "Generous, bountiful giver."

Vijayakanth, born Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswamy in 1952, who died on Thursday to invite a throng of fans, supporters, and wailing followers, was famous as an actor and politician, but what made him truly stand apart was a mix of generosity, simplicity, kindness, and hard work in a state full of larger-than-life figures thriving on long speeches, short tempers, and acts of ostentation and pomp.

In more than one way, Vijayakanth rewrote the rules of glamour and leadership in movie-and-politics-crazy Tamil Nadu to achieve his unique brand of leadership and superstardom, thereby earning his place in history.

Following the Footsteps of MGR and Jayalalithaa

As condolences poured in from all over on his death at the age of 71, there were anecdotes, instances, and examples that showed him to be a visible modern-day Vallal in the age of democratic republics. Fans thronging to visit his place would be greeted not with a customary balcony wave of the hand but with a feast. Struggling artists and directors would get a break on a recommendation from him, precisely because he had himself — in his own words — put up with insults to get to where he was.

Puratchi Kalaignar (Revolutionary Artiste) is the title he got in a state famous for epithets, following the footsteps of Puratchi Thalaivar (Revolutionary Leader) M G Ramachandran, and its female equivalent, Puratchi Thalaivi, ie, J Jayalalithaa. But, in contrast to those figures better known outside his state, he had little to show by way of aesthetic style or origins.

Boy-faced, fair-skinned MGR rode to fame playing swashbuckling hero roles in socially conscious scripts penned by his friend-turned-political foe Kalaignar Muthuvel Karunanidhi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) before breaking off to form his own All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). MGR bashed up villains, tamed and wooed rich girls, and almost always played a stylish opponent of the establishment even as he played characters empathetic to the masses: a rickshaw puller, a boatman, a fisherman et al.

Rajnikanth played equally stylish underdog roles inviting jokes that spoofed his screen persona who achieved impossible feats.

Contrast them with Vijayakanth, who had no caste base, boyish charm, or grand oratory. So what was his secret sauce? The answer would be: onscreen honesty, off-screen simplicity, visible generosity and to top it all, disarming dignity. He used these attributes to build a brand for himself and the sobriquet of 'Captain' that sat easily with his revolutionary Tamil epithet.

Understanding the Captain's Mass Appeal

In the 1980s and 1990s, Vijayaknth was an action hero known for stunts that fetched him box-office success. He earned the 'Captain' tag after his 100th film, Captain Prabhakaran, released in 1991. A political career that followed later showed him to be a real-life captain as well. Fans turned voters. But he was no larger-than-life hero who inspired unapproachable awe.

Vijayakanth juggled rural family man image and action-hero roles as a policeman or soldier, blending the two somehow. In that sense, he was an everyman's crime buster who could also be the one you could bump into at a village well. Along with Rajnikanth, he showed that superstars did not have to be fair-skinned or boy-faced.

Comedian Vivekh captured his screen persona once in a movie dialogue, where he pointed to photos of a uniformed Vijayakanth and said: "From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, there is not a single terrorist he has not caught." That, of course, was a dig at his screen roles, but also a left-handed compliment to his mass appeal.

On the other hand, the Captain played brother and son and husband or village leader with a sense of integrity and dignity (including scenes where he would shed tears of dignity). That made him appeal to both genders and all age groups. Some of the titles of his 150-movie career are telltale: "Maanagara Kaval" (Metropolitan Police), Sethupathi IPS, Periyanna (Big Brother), Engal Anna (Our Elder Brother), Honest Raj, Thennavan (Southern Man), ... and so on.

That endearing side of his persona was augmented by his offscreen Vallal acts that set up the perfect setting for his political entry. His simplicity, dignity, and generosity helped his rise in an increasingly democratised Tamil Nadu. His somewhat rustic simplicity and heavy-throated diction led to his being mocked in memes but only earned the empathy of millions like himself.

There is one meme where he asks, "Who is this knowledgeable Gokul? Everybody says you can ask him anything." A follower replies, "It is not Gokul, sir. It is Google." A Google search on his name throws up 78 million results to show that the joke is now on the meme makers.

Vijayakanth in Politics: DMDK Emerged as the Third Force

Like MGR, whose ancestral origins lay in Malayanlam-speaking Kerala, Vijayakanth's origins lay in Telugu country as a member of the Naidu community. Some called him Karuppu MGR (the Dark-skinned MGR). Rajnikanth is a Marathi-speaking native from Karnataka. Between these three, Tamil cinema and public life found outliers who could do with their persona what their language or community could not.

Vijayakanth's entry into politics through his Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (Nationalist Progressive Dravida Party) said it all in its title. Unlike Dravida parties who thrived on caste, Tamil pride, or regionalist rhetoric, the Captain positioned his party as one that could deal with India-wide parties while retaining its Dravida flavour. To millions who had no stake in caste-based reservations but plenty of nationwide opportunities for an honest living, his pull was undeniable.

The DMDK emerged as the third force in Tamil Nadu politics in 2006. Vijayakanth became leader of the opposition in the state in 2011 after his party finished second as an ally of the AIADMK. From 8 per cent of votes polled in the 2006 assembly elections to an impressive 10.3 per cent in Lok Sabha elections in 2009 before reaching its high point in 2011.

Vijayakanth's DMDK emerged stronger but its scope was limited as his image faded alongside his health. The DMDK being a useful ally in coalition politics ran its course as DMK under M K Stalin filled a vacuum created by Jayalalithaa's death in 2016.

Vijayakanth's articulate, resourceful wife Snehalatha is now effectively leading an organisation that did not give up its momentum despite Vijayakanth's failing health.

However, in the 2021 assembly elections, the vote share dwindled to 0.43 per cent. Things won't be the same again, but the 'Captain' will remain an icon of sorts for those who know that honesty, hard work, and simplicity can be lasting assets in competitive worlds, be it cinema or public life.

(The writer is a senior journalist and commentator who has worked for Reuters, Economic Times, Business Standard, and Hindustan Times. He can be reached on Twitter @madversity. This is an opinion article and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)