T’puram: With assembly elections drawing near, CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s forthcoming televised conversation with actor Mohanlal is seen as a carefully staged image makeover attempt.The teaser of the programme titled Iruvar shows Vijayan in an informal setting — strolling through the lawns of his official residence, Cliff House, smiling, laughing and speaking about cinema and personal choices. The feel-good teaser stands in contrast to Vijayan’s sharper public image seen over the years, shaped by his clipped press conferences and confrontational political exchanges. At a time when he leads the LDF eyeing a third consecutive term, the softer tone appears deliberate.Joseph C Mathew, political observer and ex-adviser to the late chief minister V S Achuthanandan, expressed scepticism about the political impact of the exercise. “I don’t think this interview will bring any significant political gain. It seems to be the result of an advice from his think-tank. The CM might be feeling that such small-talk formats appeal to family audiences and could help cultivate a more pleasant image of him among them,” he said.“There is a perception that Mammootty is closer to him. Yet Mohanlal was chosen for this interaction. That could be part of an election strategy or a social engineering effort to reach Mohanlal’s vast admirer base,” he said.It is noteworthy that both Mohanlal and Tamil actor Kamal Haasan, who had publicly admired Vijayan on several occasions, did not attend the govt’s event on last Nov 1 where Kerala was declared an extreme poverty-free state.Prior to that, after Mohanlal won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award last Sept, the state govt organised a grand felicitation titled ‘Lal Salam’ which translates to “salute to Lal,” but also echoes a phrase traditionally used as a greeting among Left cadres.CPM rejected suggestions that Iruvar is a public relations exercise and maintained that it reflects a longstanding friendship between Vijayan and Mohanlal. Congress said Vijayan is rarely seen taking spontaneous questions in open forums. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said the title could have been changed as Iruvar was earlier used for a similar interaction between former CM Oommen Chandy and Mohanlal.No matter what, the timing of the interview, likely to be released soon, is politically significant.
