Pandey-Kamal inteview: some thoughts

Girish Bharadwaj
Jul 30, 2017 · 3 min read

Rangaraj Pandey has received a lot of attention as a credible newsman in the Tamil TV circles with his production of innovative programs based on political talk, including his “Kelvikkena Bathil” (What’s your answer), an inteview programme. These shows are refreshingly ahead in quality of the equivalent national peers in the last couple of years. He truly plays the devil’s advocate role in the political debates. With Kamal Haasan being an inspiring artist and thought leader in Tamil Nadu, and given his recent active speaking up about political issues, I was really interested in this interview.

This post is predicated on Kamal’s character that emerged from this interview and my view on the importance of his political aspirations, or the lack thereof. Any other points here may be considered ‘Maane, Thaene, Ponmaney’!!


Kamal seemed very honest about his views. He or his institution does not entertain black money, he claimed. He did not say that he always was honest but this was the point where he has graduated to and this life has been tough. When questioned about his views on Rajnikanth’s moves, he clearly put their friendship ahead of talking about ideological differences in public. In my view, that makes him a trustworthy person and you can believe him when he says that he will only be a reluctant leader.

Yet, I wouldn’t say that he is brutal with his honesty. While he was clear that he did not put JJ in the same podium with MGR or Karunanidhi, he was not very open about why his voice has grown after JJ’s death. In another instance, Pandey cleverly pondered about the basis of Kamal’s theological stance being tilted against Hindus, and not as much against other religions. For someone who claimed that he was not any other politician with his denuncing the caste politics, it is very odd that he couldn’t make statements about ills in other religions. This was a very bold question and in my view, the issue is in the heart of all nasty debates we read and hear these days. Kamal was diplomatic to quote Dawkins that his voice stems first from the inequalities in his own society rather than the world, at large. You would be tempted to think that if he ever considered triple talaq as an issue that women in Tamil Nadu face at all. Maybe, as he claimed, he is still maturing. An alternate thought is that he is maybe a good businessman, or he might be a good politician.

Looks like he is. Although he is non-committal about his immediate political aspirations, he revealed that he is being pushed towards it. While this sounds as much as what Rajni has been saying for years now, there is a subtle difference. Kamal has indicated that he is moving forward in that direction, albeit unwillingly. That puts his stance a notch ahead of Rajni’s, which frankly people here have become tired of.


This is very interesting. We need an alternate leader in Tamil Nadu very badly. Kamal has simple but strong ideas. He thinks that we need administrators and not politicians (Pandey calls them CEOs) because technology is connecting people now. But, he has to understand this. Caste politics is what stands between a politician and power. He will be forced to embrace it if he wants, or as he puts it, forced to look for power.

Girish Bharadwaj

Written by

Cosmic energy coupled with the atomic energy in the evolution of mankind with a program of Java

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade