CHENNAI: There is a new Kaththi critic in town, and he goes by the name Alex Paul Menon IAS.
At a time the blockbuster Tamil film Kaththi is running to rave reviews for its apparent portrayal of the “real issues facing the people”, it has drawn stinging criticism from the young civil servant, who shot to fame after being abducted by Maoists when he was the collector of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh.
“I have nothing against films and filmmakers, because they are merchants... but expecting social responsibility from them is like seeking medicine for cancer from quacks,” Menon says in the beginning of a detailed note on his blog, going on to pick holes in the water conservation message portrayed in the film. According to him, the deep borewells running into depths of thousands of feet that we dig, the lakes and ponds that we fill up for real estate purpose that are responsible for the water scarcity and not just the corporates and cola companies as the film shows.
In a scathing criticism on the conduct of the people that is the society, the official, who has had done widely acknowledged work while he was the district collector, insisted that the multinational softdrink companies, portrayed by the film as the villains, are but smaller rivals. “It is our lack of knowledge about water conservation that is the biggest adversary,” he noted. “The problems that we face,” he added, “are because of us.”
“Chest-thumping and punch dialogues are not going to change our lives. Keep an open mind, analyse the problem to find a solution and solve it. We are our own saviours, and that is the only way out. Instead of wasting time and money believing ‘Attaikkathi’ (cardboard knife), sharpen your brains, Tamils. People’s leaders are there among us, in our villages; don’t search for them on the screen,” concludes the official. Menon’s angst-ridden post against the apparent superficiality of public reaction over the film’s message is backed by details including rainfall statistics, anecdotes and examples from around the world — from Hiware Bazar village in Maharashtra to Israel.