Sports in India is the most neglected of activities and this is reflected in the fact that Michael Phelps has bagged more gold medals in one edition of the Olympics than India has in all the editions of Olympics put together. No I am not whining for sports in India. I have formulated an explanation to our inability to excel in major sports which I would detail in another post. The point is we as Indians tend to prefer sporting activities where there is scope for individual glory, where the focus is more on the exploits of an individual rather than the team as a unit. This is unfair.

On this hypothesis I would say we like two games the most. They are: Cricket (that was a no-brainer) and Politics. Yes, we view and follow politics as a game. The latest development in this game in Tamil Nadu (which for some apparent reason caught the headlines of some national English news channel) is yesteryear matinee queen Kushboo’s entry into the DMK after a brief dalliance with the Congress.

Kushboo’s entry into politics comes at an important and interesting time. It is important because she has thrown in her hat after her name was cleared by the apex court, and interesting because she entered the DMK which, if anything, is on the precipice of uncertainty.

The DMK has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First the displeasure of certain sections of Tamil literary society that saw malice in M Karunanidhi usurping the World Tamil Council as an event to further his own and his party’s cause. This was followed by the battle between Kane and Abel for the mantle from Karunanidhi. Then the ghosts of the Spectrum Scam and finally the tapes revealing how Kanimozhi was pulling the threads behind the curtain.

Though MK has avoided a face-off between the siblings it is only for a while. The patriarch knows only too well that a battle finale is unavoidable. How and when it will happen – your guess is as good as mine. Some say at the end of the Tamil Council it will be revealed. Some say MK will wait till the Assembly polls.

It is into this maze that Kushboo has stepped in. Will she go with the politically groomed younger son or the Union minister who is a force to reckon with? Moreover, what will her equation with Kanimozhi be? As the only visible woman leader in the party will she share space with Kushboo? Will Kushboo settle for the role of a second heroine in the DMK when she would almost certainly have bagged the lead role in the Congress, which is showing promise in Tamil Nadu?

The news that Kushboo lost her role as the host of the TV show ‘Jackpot’ should not surprise anyone because the show was aired on Jaya TV. The actress-turned-politician should have seen this coming and if she was taken by surprise, I am sure she is not prepared for the bouncers coming her way.

From an actress who had temples in Tamil Nadu to one who was haunted for her comments on relationships, to a politician who wants to do something for women, Kushboo has come a long way. This turn will only add spice to people following her life and this ever-interesting game called politics.