If you go behind the Palayamcottai vegetable market in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district, you will see this larger-than-life wall painting. Imaginatively, it shows the Tamil movie superstar walking alongside the father of the nation!

In the painting, Mahatma Gandhi declares: 'There is not only a water shortage in Tamil Nadu, there is a shortage of good leaders too. Rajnikanth, come!'

The painting cost Rs 2,500, a sum invested by members of the local Rajnikanth fan club. The fans say there is too much corruption in politics today, and Rajni is the only honest man around! And the only other honest politician they can all agree on is the Mahatma. So they simply decided to put the two together!

The painting was went up after the announcement of Rajni's Jaggubai, a film with anticipated political overtones, but which is now delayed as the superstar is busy shooting Chandramukhi.

Photograph and text: A Ganesh Nadar

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