{"id":12846,"date":"2018-01-02T10:13:45","date_gmt":"2018-01-02T10:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shows4.com\/mobile\/?p=12846"},"modified":"2018-01-02T10:13:45","modified_gmt":"2018-01-02T10:13:45","slug":"indian-superstar-rajinikanth-tells-fans-he-is-entering-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shows4.com\/?p=12846","title":{"rendered":"Indian superstar Rajinikanth tells fans he is entering politics"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Indian film superstar Rajinikanth, who has a huge following in the country and is one of Asia’s highest paid actors, has announced he is entering politics.<\/p>\n

The 67-year-old, who works mostly in Tamil cinema, said that he will “form my own political party” ahead of the next Indian state assembly election.<\/p>\n

Rajinikanth said it was his “duty to change the system” in Tamil Nadu state.<\/p>\n

The state has been politically unstable since the death last year of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram.<\/p>\n

Jayalalitha was also a former film star.<\/p>\n

Addressing a packed hall of cheering supporters in the southern Indian city of Chennai (formerly Madras) on Sunday, Rajinikanth said that his aim was to contest “all 234 seats” in the assembly.<\/p>\n

“If I don’t take this decision now, the guilt will haunt me,” he said, adding: “I am not doing it for any post or money or fame as I have enough.”<\/p>\n

Fans let off fire-crackers, danced to music and shouted slogans of support following the announcement, AFP news agency reports.<\/p>\n

– How Rajinikanth and Kabali mania swept India
\n– The man who got 250,000 followers with one tweet
\n– India Jayalalitha death: Masses mourn ‘iron lady’<\/p>\n

Rajinikanth’s entrance into politics was widely anticipated after the actor dropped several hints that he was considering the move.<\/p>\n

In May, Rajinikanth told his fans to be “ready for war” at the right time to take on the “corrupt” political system and a “rotten” democracy.<\/p>\n

“If God wills, I will enter politics tomorrow. If I do, I will be truthful and will not entertain the corrupt people,” he said at the time.<\/p>\n

Tamil Nadu state plunged into crisis after the death of its former chief minister in December 2016. It eventually led to a split in the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, or AIADMK.<\/p>\n

Who is Rajinikanth?<\/p>\n

Referred to simply as “The Superstar” in his native Tamil Nadu state, Rajinikanth famously worked as a bus conductor in the southern Indian city of Bangalore before heading to Chennai in 1973 to pursue an acting career.<\/p>\n

He has a devoted fan base in the state, which is home to more than 70 million people.<\/p>\n

Rajinikanth, whose real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, has appeared in close to 200 films since 1975, many of which have broken box-office records.<\/p>\n

In 2016, his film Kabali swept India with hundreds of thousands of fans flocking to cinemas across the country.<\/p>\n

Businesses gave employees time off to avoid “sick” days, a jumbo jet was repainted in honour of the film and Twitter India “broke” several times.<\/p>\n

The film made $30m (\u00a320m) in rights sales before it was even released.<\/p>\n