Even as his father, MK Stalin grapples with the role of working president of the DMK, Udayanidhi Stalin says he is now going to enter active politics.

In an interview to Julie Mariappanina of TOI, Udayanidhi, who is the grandson of DMK leader and former TN Chief Minister Karunanidhi and has a powerful political lineage, said that he was always in politics but planned to get active now.

"Movie commitments had kept me busy for long," he told TOI

His appointment as the managing-editor of Murasoli, which is DMK’s mouthpiece, was the first indication of the actor’s impending political entry. However, his father MK Stalin, in 2016, had categorically stated that neither Udayanidhi nor his son-in-law will join politics.

“Neither will my son, nor will my son-in-law join politics. For that matter, I can assure that no one from my family will be joining politics,” Stalin responded allegations of dynastic politics.

Stalin’s son-in-law Sabareesh is reportedly the man who spearheaded his media campaign in the 2016 elections and has helped orchestrate many of his political decisions. In an interview to NDTV earlier this week, DMDK Chief Vijayakanth accused Stalin and his son-in-law of attempting to weaken his party by creating a rebellion within.  

A producer and actor in the Tamil film industry, Udayanidhi Stalin had previously evaded questions regarding his political career and had remarked that he does not need cinema to get into politics.

Udhayanidhi Stalin entered the film industry a producer and after bankrolling a few films, he went on to make a cameo appearance in the Suriya starrer Aadhavan. He then made his debut as hero with Oru Kal Oru Kannadi which went on to become a big hit. Some of the other films in which he played the lead role include Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal, Nanbenda, Gethu and Manithan.   

The actor's latest release was Nimir, a remake of hit Malayalam film Mahshinte Prathikaram.