The story of Tamil Nadu politics, it is sometimes said, can be neatly condensed to cover the size of any Tamil film poster.Walking down Madras' Mount Road, the state capital's central thoroughfare, is like disappearing into an eternal dream sequence. On either side stand mythological heroines, dimpled dream heroes, gladiators, gangsters and glycerine tears spilling out in lurid detail to offer the greatest escape on earth.The hybrid of films and politics is unique to Tamil Nadu alone. Not merely because of Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran's formidable star status, or because of former chief minister M. Karunanidhi's ace qualification as the most powerful screenplay writer of the state, but because the entire history of the reformist Dravidian movement is inextricably tied up with show business.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Aug 17, 1998--- ENDS ---
