Tamil people are generally considered very intelligent. But

"Tamil people are generally considered very intelligent. But there, politics runs in a different way. Movie stars have a larger-than-life image in Tamil Nadu, and people vote for that image." Thus spoke Jaggi Vasudev, the mystic of Coimbatore, unveiling a truth about the strange marriage between reason and reverence, between the ballot and the stage. His words reflect the paradox of a people both wise and discerning, yet moved by passion, charisma, and myth when choosing their rulers.

The ancients knew this tension well. In Greece, the crowds were stirred not only by philosophers, but by orators who wielded the rhythm of poetry like a sword. The people of Rome adored their gladiators and actors, often elevating them in fame beyond senators and generals. To the masses, the grandeur of image often spoke louder than the slow counsel of intelligence. This is not folly alone, but a reflection of the human heart, which hungers for heroes as much as for leaders.

History itself offers vivid testimony from Tamil Nadu. M. G. Ramachandran, once a shining movie star, stepped from the silver screen into the halls of power. His image, larger than life, filled with valor and compassion, made him a symbol of the people’s hopes. They voted not merely for his policies but for the man they had seen slay villains, protect the weak, and stand as a guardian of justice on screen. In him, the line between cinema and politics vanished, and he ruled as both actor and chief minister.

So too did Jayalalithaa, another luminary of cinema, ascend to power through the adoration she inspired as a heroine. Her image, born in the realm of stories, became the vessel of authority in the realm of governance. It was not only her deeds in office, but her symbolic stature, that held the loyalty of millions. The people, intelligent though they were, gave their hearts to the myth as much as to the mortal.

Therefore, let this wisdom be remembered: in every land, the soul of politics is shaped not only by logic, but by legend. The people seek leaders who embody their dreams, whether in parliaments or on stages. Vasudev’s words remind us that image can move nations as powerfully as ideas. The wise must discern the difference between the shadow and the substance, lest in choosing heroes, they forget to choose builders. Yet, in this union of myth and governance, one sees not weakness, but the eternal truth: mankind longs to be led not only by the mind, but by the heart.