Legal issues aside, the conflict over comedian Vadivelu’s comeback film ‘Tenaliraman’ appears to be heading towards an ethnic problem. After Naam Tamizhar Katchi-founder Seeman, a film director himself, made a fiery statement that people who ‘caused trouble for a Tamilian like Vadivelu in his own State’ would face dire consequences, Telugu groups have hit back.
Led by the Tamil Nadu Telugu Makkal Peravai (TNTMP), several other Telugu welfare groups have said that they have taken serious offence at Seeman’s comments and called for the police to arrest him.
‘Tenaliraman’, which portrays the comedian in a dual role as the famous court jester of Indian folklore and the king he serves, is Vadivelu’s comeback film after his self-imposed three-year exile. A group called the TN Telugu Yuva Shakti first called for the film to be banned as it was offensive to Krishnadevaraya, the legendary king of the Vijayanagara dynasty which comprises most of today’s Andhra.
“We believe that the film portrays one of the greatest kings of the South in a comic and derogatory fashion,” said TNTMK president Balaguruswamy. “The movie depicts the king as having 36 wives and 58 children. This is historically inaccurate and derogatory. It makes it seem that the king was more concerned about begetting children than he was in administering the State,” he said.
Four days ago, these agitators gheraoed Vadivelu’s house and blocked a portion of the busy Arcot Road, causing pro-Tamil directors like Seeman and close aide Gowthaman to react angrily. Gowthaman, who has directed films like ‘Magizhchi’, said, “Coming to his home on Tamil soil and threatening a great Tamil comedian like Vadivelu with a large group is not only worrisome, but also is provoking every self-respecting Tamil person.” He went on to add that despite over 70 per cent of the actors and technicians in Kollywood hailing from other States, they had been working like a ‘large family’ - a unity that could well be derailed by these ethnic provocations.
Gowthaman had gone as far as to throw down the rhetorical gauntlet, “It’s not just Vadivelu, but if such a situation happens to any Tamilian on our soil, then we will take it as an affront and they will have to face the consequences.”
Not to be cowed down, the protestors have gained numbers besides filing a case to restrain the film’s release in the Madras High Court on Friday. The groups told Express that they would not let it go if the government or court did not stop its release, “Almost 32 per cent of the people in Tamil Nadu speak Telugu. We will boycott the elections and continue the protest,” he said.
When contacted, the producers of the film AGS Entertainment director R Rangarajan said the matter was in the court, “These groups had approached the censor board and raised objections, but the censors had written back telling them that their concerns were not valid. And then they gave us a clean ‘U’ certificate. We are hope that the court resolves the matter soon.”
It may be recalled that AGS bore the brunt of ethnic groups dogging a film when their Villivakkam multiplex was stoned for screening Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam last January.