Rajini-Kamal star war a look back at MGR-Sivaji rivalry

Four decades ago, the political landscape of Tamil Nadu witnessed intense competition between actors: MGR and Sivaji Ganesan. Both had a huge fan base, but Sivaji lost out in the political race.

Today, a similar competition is hotting up between two other superstars. A couple of months ago, Kamal Haasan decided to chart a political course+ , and a couple of days ago his arch-rival Rajinikanth followed suit+ .

The stage is set once again for the clash of two film titans intent on grabbing political space. While his charity work also helped MGR build up a loyal following, Sivaji failed to do so. His followers saw him as a great matinee idol, but were reluctant to support his political image. The entry of Rajini-Kamal into politics is working on a similar plot. Some observers feel that 'Rajini is MGR and Kamal is Sivaji.'

"Rajini has a huge fan following across Tamil Nadu. He is accessible to public and even considered a simple, straightforward person. Kamal is brilliant and honest but it will be a tough game for him in politics," said R Kannan, Dravidian scholar and author of "MGR: A Life" and "Anna: The Life and Times of C N Annadurai".