Protests against films not a new phenomenon

Chennai: Tamil Nadu is not new to anti-movie protests. Vijay starrer Kaththi is only the most recent in the long list of blockbusters fringe political outfits have held ransom to in Kollywood. And it may certainly not be the last either.

In fact, some of the oldest anti-movie protests date back to the 1950s when big banners like DMK president M. Karunanidhi (a leader in the party then) penned Parasakthi (1952) and M.R. Radha’s Rathakanneer (1954) suffered many censor cuts as the then powers to be considered the movies ahead of time or rather too progressive for the consumption of ordinary public.

At least then, the objections were mostly ideological and power was a preserve of a handful of political elite who prescribed censorship against those progressive groups that questioned their fiefdom.

It is not the same now. Only the fringe political groups oppose the movies and that too on flimsy grounds of late. Also, Dravidian leaders who continue to rule till date have replaced the feudal Congress rulers since 1967.

Take Kaththi for instance, the bone of contention of ex-MLA Velmurugan’s Tamizhar Valvurimai Katchi was the investment made by production house Lyca, which is suspected to have close business ties with Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa whom the majority of Tamil polity want punished for war crimes.

“If investment is the objection, why were the protests withdrawn after Lyca’s name was removed from the banner? Will the profits not go to Lyca now? Post globalisation, one route the investment through any company and make money. Such protests arise out of the political exigency of fringe groups. Why are they targeting Vijay or a few popular actors repeatedly? Who is instigating the protests? The abrupt withdrawal raises many such doubts,” Manushyaputhiran, writer and publisher of Uyirmai Pathipagam.

Not long ago, another movie titled Pulipaarvai drew the ire of several pro-Eelam groups who objected to the debatable portrayal of slain LTTE chief Prabharakan’s son Balachandran in the movie.

“If one has grievance or objection, she or he should approach the censor board or drag the board to court and seek revocation of certificate. It happened to S.J. Surya’s movie New. Everyone has the right to protest. And so do creators of any work of art. Threatening artists or exhibitors is undemocratic. Also, it is a failure of the state, which has the duty to protect those involved after censor board certifies a film fit,” Gnani, writer and political commentator.

Vadivelu starrer Thenali Raman, A.R.Murugadoss’ Thuppakki (another Vijay starrer), Kamal Hassan’s Vishwaroopam, Sohan Roy’s Dam 999 and Ron

Howard’s Da Vinci Code are a few big names that ran in to trouble in TN in the recent years.
Except Da Vinci Code, the rest hit the screen after some cuts or after the producers made some compromises. Call it growing intolerance or cheap publicity stunt of fringe groups, the list will be unending if one were to name all movie titles objected to in the last decade. Such was the frequency of protests and nature of the groups that had objected to the movies.