But a political novice in an emblematic fur cap changed all that. Results show that nearly 500 Vanniyars in the village voted for Vijayakant, who effectively crumbled the PMK base and ate into the other parties’ Dalit vote bank. Said K Kumar, the PMK’s branch secretary in the village: ‘‘This time I too voted for Vijayakant. We all believe he will do good for us. Just look at the way he beat up the evil politician in Ezhai Jaathi (The Poor).’’

Kumar’s enthusiasm is a reflection of the changing loyalties in the state that resulted in Vijayakant’s fledgling DMDK garnering an overall vote share of 8.33 per cent. The MGR hangover may have been a factor, but more correctly the actor’s success came because the voters desired change and saw an alternative.

jaya.menon@expressindia.com