Once upon a time, the Makkal Needhi Maiam launched by actor Kamal Haasan, opposed the DMK tooth and nail. However, in 2024, the party finally joined hands with the DMK to oppose ‘communal’ forces.
Today, the same Kamal Haasan, who wanted to uproot the DMK, is campaigning for the party to win in the 2026 Assembly elections.
A resurfaced speech by Dr. Ezhilan Naganathan, the Thousand Lights constituency candidate, from a time when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Makkal Needhi Maiam were political rivals is now drawing sharp criticism for its tone and content, particularly in the context of today’s alliance between the two parties.
In the speech, Ezhilan launches into an aggressive and at times mocking line of questioning directed at Kamal Haasan, challenging him on issues ranging from reservation and federalism to temple administration and nuclear projects, while also mocking Rajinikanth. The phrasing along with the sarcastic framing of Kamal Haasan as an “intellectual,” was derisive rather than substantive.
In the video, he is seen saying, “Let’s ask Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan five questions. Hello Mr. Kamal Haasan, what do you think about reservation? We should speak to him in English today. How long should reservation continue? What do you think about the creamy layer in reservation? Kamal Haasan, please answer. Let’s see whether Kamal Haasan will answer openly and directly. Kamal Haasan, what is your opinion on financial sovereignty? They are almost snatching away all our industries, and taking away our state’s rights. Are health and education in the Concurrent List or the State List? Is anyone questioning this? We are speaking to Kamal Haasan as an intellectual – should we ask him or not? Should we ask him or not? How many times have commission reports on state autonomy gone from this state to the Centre up to now? What is your opinion on those commission reports? Should we ask or not? Should we ask or not? Also, on the nuclear projects happening here, including the Kudankulam nuclear project, what is the economic viability? What is the environmental stability? What is your opinion on that? Kamal Haasan, are you yes or no on it? Should we ask or not? We cannot ask Rajinikanth; he is on another level. We should ask him. And what we should ask is: what is your opinion on the HR&CE department? What is your opinion on the HR&CE department started by the Justice Party? Why was the HR&CE department started? To protect temples from whom was it started? Here, regarding temple lands that our kings gave in charity, what is your plan to return temple land to ordinary people, poor people, and your fans? Should we ask spiritual questions or not? We should ask, we should ask — they have done all this.”
Thousand lights DMK Candidate @Dr_Ezhilan has some questions to ask Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan 🤭
Interesting to see him be in alliance with Kamal and meet Rajini begging for votes today!
சும்மா வரலடா திமுக ஊபி…
அடுத்தவன் ஷூவ (shoe) நக்கி வந்தவன் 😅 pic.twitter.com/sznN4o3xMA— Mithun K Raman (@mithunraman) April 20, 2026
What is now being questioned is not merely the political shift, but the stark contrast between past rhetoric and present conduct. With Kamal Haasan currently campaigning for the DMK as an ally, the speech has been called out as politically tasteless, raising uncomfortable questions about credibility, consistency, and whether such rhetoric was ever grounded in principle to begin with.
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