Shadowing Lines of Stardom and Politics

Abstract

Rebel star Ambareesh, a popular Kannada film actor and a politician, is considered a cult figure for various reasons including his contentious political career and unquestionable stardom. He was well known for controversial, witty, and sleazy statements in public. Yet he gained considerable attention within the party as he represented dominant Vokkaliga voters in Old Mysore part of the state. A large number of films cast him in scripts comprising a rebellious young man who would take down the entire system single-handedly. In his political career as an MP and state minister, he always shocks his party leaders with his “who cares” attitude like in his films. It is not only the rhetorical, chauvinistic statements alone that gained him popularity. The on-screen jingoism towards a region, roles appealing to feudal set up also welded Ambareesh's image as a “Proud son of Mandya.” The current chapter is an attempt to deconstruct the unique model of “Rebel Star,” which needs to be evaluated in the historical context of Kannada cinema along with reception among shared ideologies.