My colour is not saffron, won't join any political party: Kamal Hassan

He told the media that he would be on his own politically

Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan. (Photo: Bollywood Hungama/Wikimedia Commons)
IANS Thiruvananthapuram
Last Updated : Sep 01 2017 | 7:17 PM IST
Acclaimed film actor Kamal Haasan met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Friday and declared that "saffron" — an oblique reference to the BJP and RSS — was not his colour.

And stating that he won't align with any political party in Tamil Nadu, the superstar told the media that he would be on his own politically.

"My colour is definitely not saffron. That much I can say now," Kamal Haasan told the media, in response to questions whether he would swing to the Left or Right.

"I have got huge support from people as an artiste. If I am able to get half of this in politics, then I will be successful," said the 62-year-old who has acted in more than 220 films.

Asked if he would discuss his political moves with the AIADMK, he said: "If I had to do that, then I did not have to wait. All that I needed to do was to clap my hands."

Replying to a question on why he chose to make this statement after meeting Kerala's Marxist Chief Minister, he said Communist leaders had always been his heroes.

"You just look at the statistics of Kerala and it's comparable to any European country," he said.

When journalists persisted and asked if he would align with the Left, he shot back: "It will happen soon. I want to be in the middle of things and do not want to lean to any side."

On the political situation in Tamil Nadu, he said the Governor should intervene -- a demand also voiced by the opposition in the state.

The Tamil Nadu opposition wants Chief Minister K. Palaniswamy to prove his majority in the Assembly.

Earlier, Vijayan said in a Facebook post that he and Kamal Haasan have known each other for long and they always meet whenever the actor visits Kerala.

"Today's meeting was the first one after I became Chief Minister. Even though the visit was personal in nature, we discussed south Indian politics and also the overall political situation in Tamil Nadu," Vijayan said.

The Marxist leader received the acclaimed actor, dressed in a black shirt and dhoti, at the car porch. Also present at the meeting were Vijayan's wife Kamala and other family members.

Kamal Haasan has in recent times made comments critical of Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK party. He also recently shared a stage with DMK leader M.K. Stalin.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Sep 01 2017 | 7:17 PM IST

Next Story