The recent protest against Karthi’s movie Komban and its release after several cuts is not something new in the State as such protests stretch way back, from the 1940s, when it was perceived as a serious medium of propagation of ideals by the Dravidian movement. Puthiya Thamizhagam (PT), which was up in arms against Komban, alleged that the title and content of the film was an attempt to glorify a community. Similar allegations were raised by PT leader Krishnasamy against Kamal Haasan’s Chandiyar. When opposing the title Chandiyar, the Dalit leader after the release of Kamal Haasan’s Thevar Magan, incidents of caste clashes had risen in southern Tamil Nadu. Finally, the title was changed to Virumandi.
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Kamal is not a stra to such controversies. One of the songs in his Manmadhan Ambu was removed after the Hindu Makkal Katchi alleged that it was degrading Hindu Gods. But, the toughest of protests was against Viswaroopam — Muslim organisations charged that Muslims were being portrayed as terrorists. About 20 Muslim groups petitioned the State government seeking a ban and the film’s release was suspended for 15 days. An emotional Kamal even threatened to move away from Tamil Nadu if the film was not released. Finally, the film was screened after several cuts.
Super star Rajinikanth’s Baba was flayed by the PMK, which charged the actor with inciting youth to smoke. Some of the cinema theatres which screened the film were ransacked. Vijay is another top actor whose films run into trouble. Thuppakki met with agitations by Muslim organisations that accused the director of depicting Muslims as terrorists and stooges of Pakistan. Later, Thalaiva faced bomb threats from a relatively unknown students’ organisation and its release was delayed by several days.
Thamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader Panruti T Velmurugan led protests against Vijay’s Kaththi, alleging that the producers were close to Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa. The film was released after removing the firm’s name from posters and banners.
The film Dam 999 was opposed as it contained images of breaking of a dam similar to the Mullaiperiyar dam, at a time when there was a conflict between Tamil Nadu and Kerala over raising the storage level. MDMK leader Vaiko accused the film producer belonging to Kerala was alluding to the Mullaiperiyar and was trying to create a fear psychosis in the minds of people that the Mullaiperiyar dam would burst anytime. The film was not screened by cinema theatres in Tamil Nadu, even after the ban was revoked by the Supreme Court.
Inam and Madras Cafe did not hit the screen as they were seen as ‘pro-Sinhalese’. Inam ran into trouble when Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam activists attacked theatres in Puducherry, where it was released. The film was later not released in TN. Puli Paarvai faced resentment of political leaders as it portrayed LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s son Balachandran as a child soldier.
Tamil Nadu Brahmins Association, in its State conference flayed Bharathiraja’s and demanded a ban on its release. However, then Chief Minister MGR, intervened and stopped the efforts to ban the film.
The fate of Perumal Murugan’s Maadhoru Bhagan and the attack on another writer ‘Puliyur’ Murugesan shows the trend has spread to the literary arena as well. Perumal Murugan was forced to give an apology in which he declared that the writer in him was dead. The sale of the novel was stopped following a request from the author.
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When the Dravidian movement took root, DMK founder CN Annadurai saw films, stage plays and literature as a means of propagation of ideals. As can be seen from the harsh criticisms, protests, bans and imprisonments imposed on Anna and his disciples, the present trend of agitations is not new to Tamil Nadu. Anna was sentenced to six months of imprisonment for his work Arya Mayaai (Aryan myth) which was also banned. The film Sorgavasal (entrance to heaven) revolving around a fake priest who collects money from people to show the way to heaven, met with protests even before its release. Leading newspapers and magazines flayed the movie as an attempt to degrade a particular community, people’s beliefs and religious sentiments. Several scenes were removed by the censor and the film was badly mauled before its release.
Actor M R Radha, a follower of EVR Periyar, had to stage his plays amid stone pelting protests, threats and clashes. One of his plays, Ramayana, dubbed ‘Keemayana’ by critics, was banned by the government in 1954. He was arrested six times for trying to defy the ban and stage the play. Finally, the ban was lifted. However, the drama met with protests in Tiruchy, Vellore, Coimbatore and Kumbakonam, resulting in clashes.
Even before Anna, writer Pudumaipithan upheld the principle of arts for the people. His short story Ponnagaram, which was recently removed by the Madras University from its syllabus evoked harsh criticism after its publication in the 1940s. It is the story of a poverty-stricken woman who spends a night with another man to raise money to feed her ailing husband. Another story Thunbakkeni deals with how women who migrated from Tamil Nadu to work in the tea estates of Sri Lanka are sexually exploited by the contractors. Replying to criticims, Pudumaipithan said “We don’t even dare to see issues straight in the face and that is why we have been providing excuses. If literature can give birth to the malicious Ravana, why can’t it give a place to the poor prostitute?”
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