“When I campaigned for myself last year, people came in droves and they used to smile at me, probably thinking about the characters that I portrayed. They see me as Kittunni from Kilukkam or as Mannar Mathai. But, this time around, they seem to be a bit more serious too. They probably think, now he has become an MP too, let us see what is the difference,” says MP and actor Innocent, in an interview to The Hindu , while on a tour through the Aruvikkara constituency, campaigning for the Left Democratic Front’s candidate M. Vijayakumar.
It is 3 in the afternoon. He is just getting out after an hour’s rest at a house near Vellanad. With him in the car is his son Sonnet and V.S. Sunilkumar, MLA. Despite the rain, there are people waiting for him on the shop verandas and outside the houses.
“I have been politically active even during my younger days, even ferrying people in my bicycle during the Emergency. Just because you are an actor, you don’t need to hide your political stand. People here won’t hate you just because you stand for one party or the other. But, if you get involved in some corruption, then you have had it,” he says.
The Parliament has been a new experience for him, where his Malayalam speech on cancer was much talked about. The first thing he recalls from the Parliament days? The AIADMK MPs who rarely speak anything, but dutifully carries a photograph of their ‘Amma’ inside their semi-transparent pockets.
“The Left has only negligible numbers there. Same is the case with the Congress. But the opposition need not do anything. The BJP has enough people inside who can bring them down, with their divisive statements and actions. There are those like Sakshi Maharaj, who are working hard to ensure that they won’t come to power again. He is doing good work that way,” he says with a straight face.
He has no doubts about the way the wind is blowing in Aruvikkara this year.
“Now, after all this noise about solar and bar bribery cases, people have realised the level of corruption. It is an achievement of the UDF government that they have made the common people realise that anyone with money and power is capable of doing anything in this State.”
At a small junction near Vellanad, he alights from the car and goes up the campaign vehicle, waves at the crowd and straightaway starts off his speech, “I know why you all are laughing.”
S.R. Praveen
