India, Jan. 15 -- Politics and cinema go hand in hand in Tamil Nadu. So, it is no surprise that the reluctance of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to clear Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan (People's Leader) has turned into a controversy with Tamil Nadu chief minister (CM) and DMK leader MK Stalin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accusing the BJP of weaponising CBFC to achieve political aims. Vijay has announced that his political start-up, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), will contest the assembly polls due in April; Jana Nayagan is to be his screen swansong and, as the title suggests, is meant to carry his political message and launch him as a people's politician. Though untested in electoral politics, Vijay's screen popularity has turned established parties restive. In his rallies, Vijay has tried to align with the ideals of the Dravidian Movement while criticising the DMK and AIADMK, the two major political parties that claim the movement's lineage. With no party or leader in position to decisively swing the elections away from the incumbent, the TVK is now a much sought-after ally (there are reports that both the Congress and the BJP are wooing it), while Vijay has refused to reveal his cards. And, the CBFC has given the actor useful publicity that has shifted the conversation from his disastrous rally in Karur last year, which caused the death of 41 persons. As part of the probe into that tragedy, the CBI has summoned Vijay for questioning on January 19, after previously questioning him on January 12. Jana Nayagan is not Vijay's first attempt to mix politics and cinema. Some of his films have directly attacked people/parties in government, leading to run-ins with the establishment. His 2013 Thalaivaa (Leader) had the tag line "time to lead", which irked then CM Jayalalithaa. The film was released only after the tag line was removed. The 2017 Mersal had Vijay criticising GST and Digital India initiatives. A 2018 film, Sarkar, had a villain named after Jayalalithaa's birth name, and expectedly, the film was targeted by the AIADMK. In all these, the hero (Vijay) has an anti-establishment persona and works to do public good by challenging the system. This is the playbook that the DMK, and later, MGR, followed in the 1950s and thereafter, as they used cinema as a platform for public outreach and propaganda. A hostile State only embellishes Vijay's profile as an outsider and anti-establishment figure. However, Rajinikanth's experience with a similar strategy in the 1990s and after offers a sobering lesson for those who believe that the path to winning Tamil Nadu lies through cinema. Still, politics in Tamil Nadu is in flux, and politicians, unsure of the public mood, do not want to alienate any potential ally....