67-year-old actor Kasturi Paati appears in campaign films of both the DMK and the AIADMK for Tamil Nadu polls
Highlights
- Kasturi Paati is the face of the campaigns of both AIADMK and DMK
- In AIADMK video, she praises Jayalalithaa's free meal scheme
- In DMK video, she slams Jayalalithaa's chopper rides
Parties in Tamil Nadu are experts in creating gripping and prolific videos to market themselves ahead of an election. Popular actors double up as brand ambassadors in the films which are broadcast on local channels and social media.
Kasturi Paati, 67, is a woman actor who has stolen the show in this campaign. Popular as a character actor in TV films, she has endorsed mega-rival parties DMK and AIADMK in a new set of videos.
Tamil Nadu votes on Monday.
In the AIADMK's video, Kasturi Paati (real name G T Kasturi, Paati is a term of affection for "grandmother") praises Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for the famous "Amma Annadhanam" scheme which provides free meals at temples.
In a PR film for M Karunanidhi's DMK, the actor derides Ms Jayalalithaa's helicopter rides to different parts of the state to allege that the government is arrogant and disconnected from the needs of the poor.
Kasturi Paati says she didn't realize that she was acting on behalf of two competing parties.
"Firstly, they did not tell me the shoot was for the two-leaves party (the AIADMK). They just told me it's for a short film. Later, the other party (DMK) called me for another shoot. I told them I've already done the Amma Canteen shoot but there was a competition to rope me in," she said, explaining that she's been paid Rs 1,500 and Rs 1000 for the each video respectively.
Spokesperson for both parties glossed over the problem, blaming casting agents. Kasturi Paati's films have not been dropped.