The News Minute (TNM) which is popularly considered as the unofficial mouthpiece of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has published an article about actor-politician Udhayanidhi Stalin (son of MK Stalin and grandson of late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi), in an attempt to boost the image of the DMK’s crown prince.
The article titled as “Udhayanidhi becomes Cabinet Minister: What Stalin’s son has been doing so far” elaborates on his cinema and political career that he has crossed to become the Minister in his father’s government while conveniently ignoring his problematic past.
The article tries to paint a picture that Udhayanidhi Stalin’s elevation to become a Minister in his father’s cabinet was a natural progression owing to his own merit.
It exalts the cringeworthy incident of Udhayanidhi Stalin ‘AIIMS brick’ campaign ahead of 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections saying that the campaign “cemented Udhayanidhi Satlin’s win and his political career.”
However, the TNM article has ignored the instances when both the father-son duo had claimed that the latter wouldn’t enter politics let one become a minister.
In an interview with actress Sangeetha for Puthuyugam on 6 March 2014, Udhayanidhi had stated that he is not interested in politics and that it is not mandatory to enter politics if one is born into a political family. He also stated, “There are many people in the DMK who have worked hard for the party, and I believe they should be given prominent positions.”
On 6 August 2017, during the press meet for his mega-flop movie Pothuvaga En Manasu Thangam, Udhayanidhi stated that no one in his family or friends had asked him to enter politics and that he is not interested in doing so.
On 26 May 2011, Udhayanidhi stated that he will never enter politics in response to a fan who wished him good luck for his first film Oru Kal Oru Kannadi, and asked him to enter politics.
In another such instance on 23 July, 2011, he replied to a user named @robotag that he will not enter politics. These tweets and videos can be accessed in The Commune article here.
TNM portrays Udhayanidhi’s entry into and ‘success’ in the film industry as wholly innocuous.
It even subtly tries to elevate him to the levels of the late AIADMK founder-leader MG Ramachandran saying “While Udhayanidhi starred in romantic comedies where he played the carefree, boy next door, he began to take on more serious roles that revolved around social justice like Manithan, Nenjukku Needhi, and Kalaga Thalaivan.”
The TNM article also ignores how Udhayanidhi’s Red Giant Movies has completely taken over Tamil cinema and has emerged as a monopoly in the film production and distribution business.
Since the DMK took power in May 2021, Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant Films has distributed all major Tamil films. In several interviews, political commentator Savukku Shankar claimed that Udhayanithi’s involvement was the only reason why Gopuram Films Anbuchezhian forcibly sold Kamal Haasan starer Vikram to Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant movies. He also stated that it was due to Udhayanidhi Stalin abusing his power as CM’s son that the film Maanadu was unable to be released for Diwali 2021 alongside Red Giant Movie’s Annathe starring Superstar Rajinikanth.
In the most recent instance of Udhayanidhi Stalin coercing theatre operators in Tamil Nadu, Vetti Pechu (Valai Pechu) Bismi claimed that Udhayanidhi has forced theatre operators who were planning to screen Vijay starer “Varisu” to screen his banner movie “Thunivu,” and that if they refuse, Udhayanidhi has refused to give them Avatar 2, another movie that Udhayanidhi is distributing.
Udhayanidhi And The Park Hotel Controversy:
‘Savukku’ Shankar in a recent interview revealed shocking information about Udhayanidhi Stalin. He claimed that in 2008, after a drunken brawl with “The Park” hotel staff, Udhayanidhi Stalin apparently pulled strings to demolish a portion of the hotel with the help of Ma Subramanian, the city’s mayor at the time.
Udhayanidhi Hummer Controversy:
Udhayanidhi Stalin surrendered his illegally imported Hummer Sports Utility Vehicle to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in May 2013. The investigating agency wanted to seize the alleged ‘illegally’ imported vehicle. A Hummer car was imported in 2007 by Alex Joseph, a car importer based out of Hyderabad, who allegedly later sold it to Udhayanidhi. From 2007 to 2011, Joseph is alleged to have imported highly-priced cars from abroad to India evading Custom Duties and he counted the rich and powerful among his customers.
Udhayanidhi’s Political Track Record
Politicla analysts and observers have noted that the election of Udhayanidhi Stalin from the Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni itself was preset. Initially, BJP leader Khushbu Sundar was to contest from that constituency and had even commenced her campaigns there. However, she was later withdrawn and had to contest from Thousand Lights constituency. The Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni constituency given to a nondescript PMK leader, where the PMK has no significant presence thus paving way for a easy victory for Udhayanidhi.
After becoming MLA, when asked if he would like to be made minister, he had claimed that he wasn’t behind power and considered himself as a last-standing cadre of the DMK. He said that many seniors were in line ahead of him and he never wanted to become minister.
With TNM touting Udhayanidhi Stalin, a product of dynastic politics, who has now been coronated as the Minister in his father’s cabinet, as the future of DMK, it might rather consider renaming itself as TNMurasoli.
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TNMurasoli: DMK’s Unofficial Mouthpiece Tries To Prop Up Udhayanidhi’s Image, Ignores His Problematic Dynastic Privilege
The News Minute (TNM) which is popularly considered as the unofficial mouthpiece of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has published an article about actor-politician Udhayanidhi Stalin (son of MK Stalin and grandson of late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi), in an attempt to boost the image of the DMK’s crown prince.
The article titled as “Udhayanidhi becomes Cabinet Minister: What Stalin’s son has been doing so far” elaborates on his cinema and political career that he has crossed to become the Minister in his father’s government while conveniently ignoring his problematic past.
The article tries to paint a picture that Udhayanidhi Stalin’s elevation to become a Minister in his father’s cabinet was a natural progression owing to his own merit.
It exalts the cringeworthy incident of Udhayanidhi Stalin ‘AIIMS brick’ campaign ahead of 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections saying that the campaign “cemented Udhayanidhi Satlin’s win and his political career.”
However, the TNM article has ignored the instances when both the father-son duo had claimed that the latter wouldn’t enter politics let one become a minister.
In an interview with actress Sangeetha for Puthuyugam on 6 March 2014, Udhayanidhi had stated that he is not interested in politics and that it is not mandatory to enter politics if one is born into a political family. He also stated, “There are many people in the DMK who have worked hard for the party, and I believe they should be given prominent positions.”
On 6 August 2017, during the press meet for his mega-flop movie Pothuvaga En Manasu Thangam, Udhayanidhi stated that no one in his family or friends had asked him to enter politics and that he is not interested in doing so.
On 26 May 2011, Udhayanidhi stated that he will never enter politics in response to a fan who wished him good luck for his first film Oru Kal Oru Kannadi, and asked him to enter politics.
In another such instance on 23 July, 2011, he replied to a user named @robotag that he will not enter politics. These tweets and videos can be accessed in The Commune article here.
TNM portrays Udhayanidhi’s entry into and ‘success’ in the film industry as wholly innocuous.
It even subtly tries to elevate him to the levels of the late AIADMK founder-leader MG Ramachandran saying “While Udhayanidhi starred in romantic comedies where he played the carefree, boy next door, he began to take on more serious roles that revolved around social justice like Manithan, Nenjukku Needhi, and Kalaga Thalaivan.”
The TNM article also ignores how Udhayanidhi’s Red Giant Movies has completely taken over Tamil cinema and has emerged as a monopoly in the film production and distribution business.
Since the DMK took power in May 2021, Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant Films has distributed all major Tamil films. In several interviews, political commentator Savukku Shankar claimed that Udhayanithi’s involvement was the only reason why Gopuram Films Anbuchezhian forcibly sold Kamal Haasan starer Vikram to Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant movies. He also stated that it was due to Udhayanidhi Stalin abusing his power as CM’s son that the film Maanadu was unable to be released for Diwali 2021 alongside Red Giant Movie’s Annathe starring Superstar Rajinikanth.
In the most recent instance of Udhayanidhi Stalin coercing theatre operators in Tamil Nadu, Vetti Pechu (Valai Pechu) Bismi claimed that Udhayanidhi has forced theatre operators who were planning to screen Vijay starer “Varisu” to screen his banner movie “Thunivu,” and that if they refuse, Udhayanidhi has refused to give them Avatar 2, another movie that Udhayanidhi is distributing.
Udhayanidhi And The Park Hotel Controversy:
‘Savukku’ Shankar in a recent interview revealed shocking information about Udhayanidhi Stalin. He claimed that in 2008, after a drunken brawl with “The Park” hotel staff, Udhayanidhi Stalin apparently pulled strings to demolish a portion of the hotel with the help of Ma Subramanian, the city’s mayor at the time.
Udhayanidhi Hummer Controversy:
Udhayanidhi Stalin surrendered his illegally imported Hummer Sports Utility Vehicle to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in May 2013. The investigating agency wanted to seize the alleged ‘illegally’ imported vehicle. A Hummer car was imported in 2007 by Alex Joseph, a car importer based out of Hyderabad, who allegedly later sold it to Udhayanidhi. From 2007 to 2011, Joseph is alleged to have imported highly-priced cars from abroad to India evading Custom Duties and he counted the rich and powerful among his customers.
Udhayanidhi’s Political Track Record
Politicla analysts and observers have noted that the election of Udhayanidhi Stalin from the Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni itself was preset. Initially, BJP leader Khushbu Sundar was to contest from that constituency and had even commenced her campaigns there. However, she was later withdrawn and had to contest from Thousand Lights constituency. The Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni constituency given to a nondescript PMK leader, where the PMK has no significant presence thus paving way for a easy victory for Udhayanidhi.
After becoming MLA, when asked if he would like to be made minister, he had claimed that he wasn’t behind power and considered himself as a last-standing cadre of the DMK. He said that many seniors were in line ahead of him and he never wanted to become minister.
With TNM touting Udhayanidhi Stalin, a product of dynastic politics, who has now been coronated as the Minister in his father’s cabinet, as the future of DMK, it might rather consider renaming itself as TNMurasoli.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
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