'Dravidian Stockists' Play Into Pawan Kalyan's Hands As Andhra Leader Stirs Tamil Nadu's Political Waters

Pawan Kalyan, even in his peak film days, was a bit of a non-conformist. Which is a charitable way of saying that he was unpredictable and inconsistent. 'Maverick' is a word you may want to use. Even that seems a bit polite.

His ideas were all across the spectrum. At one point, his stated views were closer to the communist pantheon. And there was a phase when he looked to be nearer to Gandhian ideals. And there has always been a vigilante streak in him, probably influenced by the many larger-than-life roles he has donned on screen.

And now he is a spirited Sanatana Dharma warrior, spearheading and defending the cause of Hinduism, not just in his native Andhra Pradesh but also in the entirety of South India.

The Jana Sena leader has shot into the media limelight in the aftermath of the laddu controversy in Tirupati-Tirumala, as he rode the righteous anger in a cross section of the public over the reported adulteration in the ghee used for making the famed prasad.

The issue has kind of dissipated now after the various revelations that the contaminated ghee may not have been actually used in the sweet given as a votive offering to Lord Venkatesa of the Seven Hills. But Kalyan seems to have found a niche for himself to further his newfound political momentum.

In Andhra, where he is the deputy chief minister, his unconventional approach was always known. But in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, right now helmed by the godless Dravidians, his no-holds-barred brash ways have triggered some uncomfortable ripples and caught the 'Dravidian stockists' off guard.

Karthi’s Apology Had Them Fuming

How this Andhra Pradesh politico's shadow got cast over the latticed Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu in itself may be just happenstance. It all started rather innocuously with a ham-handed jokey response from actor Karthi at a film promotion event in Andhra.

At a marketing do for his Tamil film Meiyazhagan (Sathyam Sundaram in Telugu), there was some reference to laddu, and Karthi playfully said (words to the effect) 'no reference to laddu, please'.

The question was pointless, and his reference even more so, as it is mostly the case in such jamborees.

But in these intense social media times, anything can become problematic just because of the timing. And soon Karthi's seemingly harmless line became viral, and every kind of spin was given to it as the laddu controversy was at an emotive pitch then.

And Kalyan, the wily politician that he has become now, waded into it by saying that he can't take even fun references to laddu as it amounts to an attack on Sanatana Dharma.

He didn't take Karthi's name directly (and some sections believe that the 'Power Star's' words were aimed at Prakash Raj, who had also posted an inane tweet (an 'X post') on the laddu controversy).

But anyway, Karthi, with a big release on the line (he has a decent market in the Telugu-speaking states), thought it better to blow down the issue by clarifying to Kalyan.

In a post on X, Karthi said: "Dear @PawanKalyan sir, with deep respects to you, I apologize for any unintended misunderstanding caused. As a humble devotee of Lord Venkateswara, I always hold our traditions dear. Best regards."

Pawan’s Challenge To Udhayanidhi

Pawan also responded by saying that he sincerely appreciated Karthi's gesture and swift response, as well as the respect he had shown towards the shared traditions.

"Matters concerning our sacred institutions, like Tirupati and its revered laddus, carry deep emotional weight for millions of devotees, and it’s essential for all of us to handle such topics with care," the Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM remarked.

And for good measure, he also thundered that anyone wanting to harm Sanatana Dharma would have to face the consequences. This, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) men took to be metaphorical finger-wagging at Udhayanidhi Stalin, who had famously vowed to destroy Sanatana Dharma.

Anyway, the issue would have died like most social media controversies in a day. But that didn't happen as the maladroit Dravidian IT (information technology) wing, in a typically shortsighted way, decided to take on Kalyan and his supporters. The 'Dravidian stockists' felt Karthi's apologetic clarification was pandering to the Hindu sentiments, which in their scheme of things is anathema.

They doubled down on their trolling of Kalyan and his politics. In Tamil Nadu, the Dravidian troll army brooks no response as it shouts down with vile volubility anyone with an opposite view or idea.

More than the vacuous name-calling and expletives, what also has happened is Kalyan wading into Tamil Nadu's political waters. He gave a high-profile interview to one of the mainline Tamil news channels, and in it he took on many subjects that called out Dravidian politics implicitly.

In the interview, he said, "The installation of the Sengol, a sacred symbol of Sanatana Dharma from Tamil Nadu, within the Parliament in Delhi stands as a powerful testament to our unity and reverence for tradition."

This line of approach, coming from technically a non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politico, has the potential to appeal to the Hindus of Tamil Nadu. And that is why the 'Dravidian stockists' appear rattled.

Not only does Pawan hold out appeal to the Hindus of Tamil Nadu, he also, with his strong film ground, is acceptable to the state's film personalities. In the interview, he mentioned the names of top comedian Yogi Babu and leading director Lokesh Kanagaraj.

And in keeping with the 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours' credo in filmdom, the two immediately responded with thanks to Pawan. This give and take, even for optics, makes him seem more acceptable. And his kind of Hindutva politics is not that forbidding for the Tamils.

Pawan Wades Into Tamil Nadu Politics

Pawan opened up another front by making a positive move towards the DMK's rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), with an X post appreciating its founder, MGR.

"My love & admiration to ‘Purachhi Thalaivar’, Thiru ‘MGR’ avargal has been an integral part of my upbringing in Chennai. And it still remains intact. My best wishes to all the ‘Purachhi Thalaivar’ worshippers, admirers and fans on the upcoming ‘AIADMK’s 53rd formation day on ‘OCT 17th. My first introduction to Purachhi Thalaivar was by my Tamil language teacher while studying in Mylapore. He recited a couplet from ‘Thirukkaral’ and said Purachhi Thalaivar qualities are reflected in this Thirukkural," he said in his post.

As if to rub it into the DMK followers, Kalyan's X handle has had this post as a pinned one. So that is the post that greets you when you visit his profile page on the social platform.

The AIADMK leader, Edappadi Palaniswamy, not wanting to let go of the opportunity, was quick to thank Pawan, who again embarrassed the DMK this time by not only invoking J Jayalalithaa's name this time but also said of the AIADMK: "Under the leadership of Thiru Palaniswami avargal, may this great movement continue to thrive and bring prosperity to all. My best wishes to the AIADMK family as we march forward together in the spirit of MGR's revolutionary ideals." (sic)

On the one side, Pawan has been going ballistic on Sanatana Dharma, and on the other, he is playing up the AIADMK. Both have upset the DMK think tank as is clear from their frenzied responses on social media platforms.

But their usual tricks aren't working beyond their borders. Even Udhayanidhi appeared a bit flustered. When asked about Pawan's words, he merely responded, "Wait and see."

This, of course, is a namby-pamby reaction. But one typical of him. Remember his similar bluster on NEET? Nothing has come of it. Clearly, Pawan has pushed him on the backfoot.

Can Pawan Be A Force That The BJP Can Count On? 

Though Pawan can be a bit of a slogger with no real consistency, there seems to be some method to his newfound play field: Tamil Nadu.

In a new post, apropos of nothing, he talked of the Hindu cultural strengths of the state.

"Tamilnadu is a land of ‘Siddhars and Saints.’ My late father was an ardent devotee of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Saradha Maa & Swami Vivekananda," he said, and added, "For Culture and Bhakti traditions, Tamilnadu, truly stands out and the land is abundantly blessed by many Siddhars and Saints." (sic)

Such paeans to the undoubted Hindu heritage of Tamil Nadu had the DMKians scurrying for some riposte. They are trying to bowdlerise the Hindu ethos of the state, and cannot stand anyone appreciating the state's hoary temples and saints. 

Of course, Pawan is not the most dependable of horses for the Hindu right wing. He can easily move on to another idea or ideology in a jiffy. But as of now, his pyrotechnics have made the DMK and its powerful IT wing wobble.

Which can be a good start for the Tamil Nadu BJP, which seems to have gone into a shell after drawing a blank in the Lok Sabha election. It was looking for inspiration to gain its confidence back. And Pawan may have provided that spark.

As Pawan swings his bat with gay abandon, the BJP can just watch the spectacle from the non-striker's end. The fun will be good as long as it lasts.