Kamal Haasan opened up on his transition from being an ordinary citizen to a politician at the India Today Conclave 2018. Speaking to India Today TV's Padmaja Joshi, in front of a select audience in Mumbai on Friday, the superstar was saddened by the state of contemporary Tamil politics.

"Mediocrity is set as a standard...rubbish becomes acceptable. This has been the state of Tamil politics for nearly half a century," he said.

Asked what his politics was, Kamal said: "I'm anti-crass, mediocre politics...I'm challenging these. Existing parties have become mediocre."

Explaining the delay in joining politics, Kamal said that the feeling was that politics was infra dig. One just had to vote or not. Like most, he acknowledged that he accepted the freedom that democracy gives but not take any responsibility.

The superstar-turned-politician denied that he was anti-BJP. Instead he said he was anti-extremism.

"I am anti everything that goes wrong for the people. As for extremism, Hindu extremism exists, read the Tamil papers," he said.

Terming the recent vandalism of Periyar's statue in Vellore as an act of extremism, Kamal said that it was a diversionary tactic to take people's attention away from more pressing issues such as sharing Cauvery water.

The Tamil superstar also did not dismiss the idea of aligning with other political parties.

"We'll have to see who we can align with; at the moment we are looking not shopping. Certain ideas, plans have to be similar...we will not shake hands with corrupt politicians," he said.

Taking a cue from management thinker Edward Bono, Kamal said that his party Makkal Needhi Maiam will be the "po" of Tamil politics. Po is a creative way of thinking beyond the traditional yes or no.

"Many don't get the idea of centrism...we do not have to be left or right," he explained.

On being asked why he was floating a new party instead of joining a new one, Kamal took the allegorical way.

"What will I do if I'm hungry? What is available is rotten food," he said.

His message to politicians is simple: "Mend your ways or we'll step in."

Talking about his tryst with politics, Kamal said the decision to formally join politics was not taken overnight.

"I became political nearly 30 years ago. But I thought electoral politics was not for me. Things have changed now," he said.

His politics, he says, is derived from Gandhi, Ambedkar and Periyar. "Dialogue from Gandhiji and the anger against caste from Ambedkar and Periyar," he explained.

Will he miss his film career once he takes up politics? "Only in a nostalgic way," he replied.

Towards the end the conversation touched upon his relationship with the recently deceased Sridevi, his co-star in a number of Tamil hits.

"It's like we came from the same house...we were like siblings. She had a bag of tricks that she picked up from various masters and she used it," he said.

WATCH | I'm entering politics not as star but a citizen who was taken for granted: Kamal Haasan