Lights, camera and campaign: Left Looks for Cultural Icons

February 26, 2026

As Kerala moves closer to the Assembly polls, the ruling CPI(M) is leaving little to chance in its bid to secure a rare third consecutive term for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Stung by an unexpected drubbing in the December local body elections, the Left has recalibrated with a conspicuous pivot towards the state’s influential cultural sphere.

At the centre of this outreach is the party’s Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, widely seen as devising a strategy to harness the persuasive power of cinema and literature.

The most high-profile move was bringing in superstar and Dadasaheb Phalke award winner Mohanlal, who was ‘flown’ out of a shooting schedule in Thodupuzha for a two-day programme culminating in a televised interaction with the Chief Minister.
Directed by filmmaker T.K. Rajeev Kumar, the exercise followed structured discussions on tone and content, underscoring the meticulous planning behind the optics.

Significantly, this came months after Mohanlal and Kamal Haasan skipped the state government’s “Extreme Poverty Free” declaration ceremony held on November 1, 2025, in Thiruvananthapuram, despite being listed as special guests.
Only Mammootty attended, marking his first public appearance after months of medical treatment.
Political observers note that Mohanlal’s subsequent decision to interview CM Vijayan restored visible proximity, recalling a similar interaction he once had with former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Earlier, Mohanlal had featured in a promotional film for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, directed by Priyadarshan, under Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar, further blurring the line between governance messaging and celebrity endorsement.

This intensified engagement with film personalities also unfolds against the backdrop of the controversial Hema Committee report, which had sent ripples through the Malayalam film industry.