Superstar wave begins

Chennai: It was the day Rajini was seen in his neta avatar for perhaps the first time. It may have been intended as a simple visit to a graduation ceremony at the Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute as the chief guest. 

But the event, in which he unveiled a statue of the former chief minister and AIADMK leader MGR, exploded into media frenzy as photographers scrambled for shots, so too did the students with their mobile phones. It had never been quite like this whenever the matinee star Rajini attended functions in the past.

The 'Superstar' himself may not have anticipated this explosion of interest. He used to appear at controlled events in his Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam in meeting thousands of his fans for a photo op after a speech by their 'Thalaivar''. 

Things seem to have changed in the public eye ever since he expressed his desire to float his political party. He is seen now as the neta who is taking his followers to the 'promised land'. There is a distinct feeling that a Rajini wave is about to be seen in Tamil Nadu. 

The unbelievable jostling for positions to capture his image and the sheer crush of people wanting a piece of him suggested that things have changed forever. And then there were the posters and banners all along the route to the university in the city's western suburb of Maduravoyal.