Music, dramas, action, humour, comedy and sarcasm – all these elements were thrown in equal proportions to make the election campaign of script-writer politician Muthuvel Karunanidhi, who was born in this temple town.

His ancestral home is just 20 feet away from the Tyagaraja temple, one of the oldest and biggest Shiva temples in the country. It was at his ancestral house that Karunanidhi began his election campaign journey at around 5 in the evening.

His first stop was a tiny village of Velamal just 6 km from his house and from here to the first scheduled stop – Kudikarai where hudreds of people of all ages, shapes and sizes were thronging for over an hour for the darshan of their local lad, who at 92 is the oldest active politicians in the country.

He is of course winning. But the only question is by what margin.

Karunanidhi’s campaign was as dramatic as the film he helped make with powerful scripts. In this case, the person who was making the campaign meeting at this tiny village very interesting and riveting was a mimicry artist RV Nadiya Kumar, a party artist from Nagapattinam, Singer, mimicry artist and a comedian rolled into one, he had the crowd in splits and used his skills to drive home the message – of how Amma rule was for the last five years.

The cheers and claps that Kumar got was just an indication of the people’s wait for May 16 to “take revenge” and vote the AIADMK out. At least in this village that falls in Tiruvarur constituency from where its local lad Karunanidhi is seeking re-election.

Last time the victory margin was 50,000 and this time it will be crossing one lakh, said a local shopkeeper. It was in front of his shop that Karunanidhi’s campaign vehicle came to a halt. For sure, he and his shop would be the talk of the village as almost everyone who could manage for their selfies with at least the vehicle if not Kalaignar himself.

Many were taking selfies with Kumar too and the crowd gave him a roaring ovation when he brought out the voice of Karunanidhi.

But for the original, it was the super star welcome, something reserved for gods like Rajinikanth.

Already Karunanidhi is one and half hours late, But the crowd is not complaining as Kumar is on the job and also being very good at it. He had the crowd in splits when he mimicked Jayalalithaa and joked about her welfare programmes and Amma this and Amma that.

The crowd just loved it. Mixies, grinders have stopped working but the ten year old TV that Kalaignar gave still is going strong, he said as the crowd roared in approval.

“She only flies and crowd prostrates in front of her. But Kalaignar comes to you, by road in search of you,” Kumar said highlighting the contrasting styles of the two leaders.

His rendition of Vijayakanth style speech was also much appreciated the crowd. He used his great sense of humour as the biggest weapon.

“Did Amma come to see people suffering in floods. No, she would get infection,” he said in a reminder of the mismanagement of floods as he called it.

Cheers rent the air when the crowd spotted a group of 50 bikers, dressed in red t-shirts, breezed through. This was indication that the convoy was just behind.

The crowd went wild when they spotted the white tempo traveler – campaign vehicle specially done up for Kalaignar.

Karunanidhi;s speech was short. But they had not come to hear it. Only to see him, touch him if they can.

Reading out from party manifesto, Karunanidhi said his government would waive off farm loans. But the crowd cheered him the most when he said that he would get the local canal desilted.

Karunanidhi’s vote appeal, “Get ready to vote against AIADMK government” had the stamp of approval of the almost partisan audience.

His speech over in three minutes, the Karunanidhi convoy moved on – to another village as he made round of the constituency. He is in Tiruvarur tomorrow also.

Even workers at the AIADMK candidate’s office admitted defeat already. Victory margin would be lesser is what they said as if it was an achievement of sorts.