'Main Hoon Na': Why is Mamata using a SRK movie title?

Sixteen years after Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Main Hoon Na took the box office by storm, the iconic movie title started trending in Bengal politics, thanks to poll strategist Prashant  Kishor’s I-PAC team.

The Trinamool Congress roped in the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) last year to formulate its strategy for the 2021 assembly polls in West Bengal. Adopting its oft-repeated strategy of trying to create a political brand around an individual, the team started building its campaign centred on TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee soon after assuming charge of its new assignment.

It hit the turf last year with the ingenious Didi ke bolo (tell the elder sister) campaign amid growing allegations against TMC leaders for involvement in corruption and running syndicate raj, an organised extortion racket run by unemployed youths allegedly with the backing of the ruling party.

The idea behind the campaign is to isolate Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from the wrongdoings of her party colleagues. The initiative calls upon people to lodge complaints about their grievances directly to the chief minister. It seeks to provide the ultimate remedy for all ills inflicting the state — didi ke bolo.

The initiative has received an overwhelming response as it provided a platform to the people to directly take up their problems with the chief minister. Within a month of launching a helpline number and a website, more than 10 lakh complaints were reportedly registered. Based on these complaints, Banerjee publicly asked her party leaders to return the “cut money” they had purportedly taken from the beneficiaries of the state’s welfare schemes.

In March this year, the I-PAC team came up with another public outreach programme, ‘Banglar Gorbo Mamata’ (Bengal’s pride, Mamata). In this campaign, Banerjee has been described as “one of the most fierce protectors and the guardian of the ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, as enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution.”

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It also projected her as a “passionate proponent and the true custodian of Bengal’s culture, dignity, and pride.”

In the wake of Covid-19 outbreak, the team came up with a poster depicting Banerjee resolutely standing as a ‘shield’ between the pandemic and the residents of the state, who are sleeping blissfully behind her.

It was team PK’s way of brand creation where it plays up the image of an individual as a “superhero.”

Continuing with the idea, the TMC, at the behest of Team PK, now unveiled a poster featuring Banerjee with the message “Main hoon na” to reassure the students who were allegedly reluctant to take crucial NEET and JEE exams in the midst of a pandemic.

In this time of constant uncertainty and anxiousness, @BJP4India led govt is pushing our students into further distress. To timely address this burning issue, @MamataOfficial came forward to fight for providing a safe environment to the students. She is truly everyone's leader! pic.twitter.com/3KaoJuEZqx

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) August 27, 2020

“In this time of constant uncertainty and anxiousness, @BJP4India led govt is pushing our students into further distress. To timely address this burning issue, @MamataOfficial came forward to fight for providing a safe environment to the students. She is truly everyone’s leader! (sic),” the TMC tweeted, releasing the poster.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who often crosses swords with the state government, responded to the TMC’s slogan quipping “Main bhi hoon na (I am also here)”.

Hon’ble CM @MamataOfficial

M A I N
HOON NA

मैं हूँ ना

My RESPONSE

M A I N
BHEE
HOON NA

मैं भी हूँ ना

In true spirit of Constitution in togetherness we both as constitutional functionaries will work for betterment of state and mitigate untold woes of people. pic.twitter.com/Eo3cwR80ya

— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) August 29, 2020

“My response to Main hoon na, Main bhi hoon na. In the true spirit of the Constitution in togetherness we both as constitutional functionaries will work for betterment of the state and mitigate untold woes of people,” the governor said, retweeting the TMC’s poster.

Incidentally, Shah Rukh Khan is the brand ambassador of Bengal and owns the Kolkata Knight Riders, a franchise cricket team representing Kolkata in the Indian Premier League.