Tamil stars uneasy over Rajini’s apology

CHENNAI: Kollywood once again finds itself in a parochial ferment with some top stars lashing out against actor Rajinikant for his open apology to Kannadigas - to ensure an unhindered passage of the reels of Kuselan into the cinema halls of Karnataka - and fans of the ‘superstar’ tearing up posters in Coimbatore.

Though this is not the first instance in which actors are expressing their collective love for Tamil Nadu by taking a stand against Karnataka, today’s reaction by Sathyaraj, Sarath Kumar and Vijaya T Rajendhar makes one wonder if tinsel town is taking chauvinism to needless lengths.

For one, even while apologising to the Kannadigas, Rajinikant did not say anything against Tamils or Tamil Nadu. He only said that he had learnt a lesson from Kannadigas and that he will not repeat what he had done.

For that, why should Rajinikant give an explanation to the people of Tamil Nadu, as Sarath Kumar has sought, or how can his statement be construed as an insult to the people of Tamil Nadu, as Sathyaraj has alleged.

T Rajendhar, on his part, has said that Rajinikant has become a ‘zero’ from a ‘hero’ by his apology and has suggested that he should have compensated the producers of the film the loss they might incur by the film not being released in Karnataka.

Meanwhile in Nagercoil, former Union Minister and PMK MP Ponnusamy said that Rajini has taken the Tamils for a ride by submitting himself before the Kannadiga forces.

Of course, the film stars are only projecting themselves as the champions of their language like the fringe Kannadiga groups that vowed to not let the release of Kuselan in Karnataka until Rajinikant apologised for his remarks made at a protest meeting in Chennai when the dispute over Hogenakkal was raging.

At that time, the film industry had at least some reason to stage the protest because, Kannadiga chauvinists were attacking cinema halls screening Tamil films. In that meeting, Rajinkant had said that it was not proper for Karnataka to stake claim over Hogen akkal that belongs to Tamil Nadu - a possible fodder for Kannada chauvinists to take umbrage at.

But can an apology, that too made with a commercial intent, be taken as an insult to Tamil Nadu?

If so, are the film stars suggesting that the pride of Tamil language rests on the paeans sung in its praise in open? Whatever it is, there is scope of yet another controversy as long as the people look up to the film actors for inspiration.

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