Why Kamal Haasan missed the chance to play a bigger role in multi-starrer TN politics

last month, when Kamal Hassan Drive into Anna Arivalayam DMK Headquartered in Chennai, accepting the nomination of the Central Governor Stalin to the Union House marked the end of the road for the party. Makar Nidhi Maiam (MNM) founder promised to provide an alternative to the two Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu.Haasan launched MNM in February 2018 in an attempt to quell anger against the establishment. In MNM’s first political promo ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the actor broke a television that was playing Stalin’s speech. Come 2026, after accepting nomination to the House of Federation, Hassan “generously” gave up the three parliamentary seats that the DMK offered to the MNM as an alliance proposal.Why has Hassan, who redefined success in cinema, failed to deliver on his promises as a politician? These mistakes can start early. The MNM, true to its name (“Maiam” means center), seeks to be a centrist force, representing different segments of society. The positioning itself was seen as lacking credibility, as Hassan was known for his left-wing views long before entering politics. Being at the center of political discourse also comes with political ambivalence.In terms of opinion polls, the new nationalism suffered successive electoral setbacks. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it contested 37 seats but polled 3.7% of the votes, resulting in a blank. In the 2021 parliamentary elections, the party fielded candidates for 154 seats but won nothing, and its vote share fell to 2.5%. In neighboring Puducherry, it received just 1.8% of the vote. MNM has joined the DMK-led alliance ahead of the 2024 general elections.After the deaths of influential leaders like Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi, many see a new political space in Tamil Nadu, which could be filled by film figures like Haasan and Rajinikanth. While Haasan took the plunge, Rajinikanth shelved his political plans in late 2020, citing health concerns.Haasan’s core team consists of people from different professional backgrounds: IAS officer Santhosh Babu, retired IPS officer AG Maurya, businessman R Mahendran, entrepreneur CK Kumaravel, social worker Kameela Nasser, actor-director Sripriya and writer Suka. Although they were well-known in their respective fields, both were new to politics and Hassan failed to attract veterans from other parties.Anusha Ravi, a lawyer who once served as NPM’s publicity secretary, said she was attracted to the party by Hassan’s call for change. “But soon he lost faith and I felt discouraged. Haasan was passionate about films but not interested in politics,” said Ravi, who joined the BJP in 2024.Some political analysts believe Hassan lacks a coherent political strategy. “The MNM has a weak organizational structure and limited contact with people,” said political commentator Aazhi Senthilnathan. “Haasan’s appeal remains largely limited to urban voters. After the disastrous defeat in 2019, several key members quit the party and some of them joined other parties such as the DMK.”Political analyst Priyan Srinivasan said Hassan was unsure how to handle the setback. “Electoral defeats are normal; there must be a plan to move the party forward,” he said. “Look at Naam Tamilar Katchi. It suffered several defeats but its leader Seeman was the least depressed and maintained the party’s influence.”Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) general secretary D Ravikumar said Hasan’s narrow defeat to Vanathi Srinivasan in Coimbatore in 2019 was a turning point. “If he wins, his political career will be different. Sustaining a party requires patience, grassroots work and long-term commitment,” said Ravi Kumar, who termed Haasan’s move to the DMK as “pragmatic and regressive”.In the film industry, Hasan is known as the “Sakalakala Vallavan (Master of all arts)” and is known for displaying depth of knowledge and creative confidence. However, many of his works struggled to resonate with rural audiences because his ideas were sometimes ahead of their time. Under the guidance of legendary director K Balachander, Haasan gradually became one of the most famous actors in South India.However, the transition from film to politics presents a different set of challenges, where individual talent must give way to collective leadership and organizational strength.Hassan is not the first big star to fail politically. Legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan tried his luck with DMK and Congress before founding Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani in 1988. After failing to achieve success in the 1989 elections, the Corporation merged with the Janata Dal. For TVK leader Vijay, Tamil Nadu’s latest crossover star between film and politics, Hasan’s journey has several lessons.cross StarMG Ramachandran|The actor joined DMK in 1953 after leaving Congress. In 1969 he was appointed treasurer of the party. In 1972, he was expelled from DMK due to internal disagreements and MGR proposed his party ADMK. He will serve as chief minister for two terms, lasting 10 years.J Jayalalithaa | She joined the ADMK in 1982 and rose quickly through the ranks, becoming the party’s propaganda minister by 1983. Known as ‘Puratchi Thalaivi’, or ‘Leader of the Revolution’, she was the chief minister five times, a titan of the ADMK and the party’s longest-serving general secretary.Shivaji Ganesan After leaving the Congress, he founded the Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani Party in 1988. But the party failed to win seats in the 1989 polls, leading him to briefly join the Janata Party before retiring from politics.Vijayakant | He founded DMDK in 2005 and served twice as a provincial councilor in the party. The DMDK emerged as the second largest party in the 2011 Assembly elections, and Vijayakanth became the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly from 2011 to 2016.R Sarath Kumar | The actor founded All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) in 2007. After leading the party for more than 16 years, he merged it with the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2024, citing the need for stronger collective action and ideological alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.