We elect archetypes not politicians
The recent victory by TVK, led by Joseph Vijay, the superstar, made me look Tamil Nadu politics from the lens of a curious strategist. Tamil Nadu has a long standing love affair with Cinema Politics. It's a state that has managed to convert reel power, superstardom to a political machinery for governance. And it has a track record of 6 decades. Vijay isn't an aberration, he is the norm proving the fundamental system. But as a strategist, I felt that this state doesn't elect politicians but archetypes and characters who are required for the story of the times. Each of these people become successful when their party's manifesto resonates and aligns with the unmet needs of the voters and resolves the cultural contradiction of the times. Their archetypes truly shine when all of these align. Let's start with Karunanidhi . He came to power as a highly educated, intellectual and powerful orator, script writer and the architect of pushing the Dravidian philosophy to the...