Viswaroopam!

Kamal Hassan’s Viswaroopam has begun screening in theatres across Tamilnadu. A lot happened in a 2 to 3 week span over this movie. Ranging from Muslims wanting censors on the movie to Jayalalitha wanting a share of it for Jaya TV to Kamal Hassan saying he will leave India if need be, a lot was said about this movie. Even Kalaignar took his share of publicity out of this issue.

Whether these past week have taught Kamal anything, I don’t know. It has shown me that my opinion of him as a pseudo atheist is right. In every movie, he has taken pains to show other religions in good light and Hindus, especially Brahmins in bad light.

• In Anbe Sivam, he would show Nassar as the bad guy who would order for people to get murdered right after saying “Thenaaludaya Sivane potri”. There would be a Christian missionary which would offer unconditional help.
• In Dasavatharam, he would throw around the idol of Vishnu and say, “Showchaalayathuku pongo. Adhuvum aalayam dhaane. Avar anga dhaan irukkanum.” Nagesh and his family would be extremely good people and those sheltered in the mosque would have survived the tsunami.
• In Avvai Shanmugi, he would show a Brahmin old man as a womanizer and sing, “Husbandu dhaan poyachu suspend dhaan aayaachu, aahiduchu divorce dhaan” in a song for Varalakshmi Vratham! The Nassar character who is a Muslim would be a very good guy.

 The list can go on and on….

He says that he is a pakutharivu vaadhi – rational thinker. I don’t see any rationale in his ideology! Atheism doesn’t accept God – any God! The Kamal brand of atheism doesn’t accept only Hindu Gods! At least, he could have practiced atheism properly! I don’t care whether or not he believes in God, but why forcibly target one religion or sect of people in every movie of his? It couldn’t be coincidence!

Every taunt against Hindus has hurt many people, but they have let it go and seen the movie as a whole and appreciated/ criticized it. Even in Viswaroopam I am told, there are some anti Brahminic gibes. He tried the same with other religions and they have rebelled. Ellarum summave irupaangala enna? He was caught in a political maze and didn’t know how to come out of it. His rational thinking forsook him at the hour of dire need! I wonder why!

Then he started saying ‘Oru Kalaignan ku mariyadhai illaye’. I don’t get that! If the movie is good, Kamal the actor, Kamal the screen play writer and Kamal the director will surely get appreciated by the people. Even if the people don’t like the movie as a whole, they will still say Kamal acted really well, it was well scripted/ directed – if he really has done it properly. He would have got the respect due for a ‘kalaignan’ even if the film released two weeks later. The only problem was for Kamal, the producer.

He created sympathy waves by saying he would have to sell his house if the movie wasn’t allowed to release and that he was in the clutches of the money lender and all of that. There are hundreds of producers who have sold their houses for taking a movie. People have sold every bit of what they have had for making movies. People leave their families and stand outside studios in Kodambakkam not knowing if or when they will get a chance! There are atleast a handful of producers who have had to sell their houses because of Kamal! Even Kalaipuli Thanu had to start all over again after Alavandhaan! Kamal didn’t bother helping them in their hour of need. Why would the producer’s association say anything in support of him now? None of the producers who have lost money before gave such a mindless interview. If it happens to Kamal, how is it a big deal? If he mortgaged his house, it is his problem.

The most comic part was when he said he would leave Tamilnadu. If he couldn’t find a secular state in India, he would leave the country! 😀 😀 What if he didn’t find a secular state in the world? Would he set up shop on Mars and cater to aliens? All hogwash! Poyen, yaaru iru nu sonnaa! Despite his contributions to Tamil cinema, in all humility, the Tamil cinema industry is not dependent on Kamal for its survival – it has been there before him and it will continue after him. He can go where he pleases and make whatever movies he wants. It is he who is dependent on this market, if not, why make all this hue and cry?

Cinema is an art – when you are making it or watching it. The moment it is sold to someone to be screened in theatres, it becomes business. In business, one needs to pacify and mollify many people before a deal is reached and executed. Idhu kooda theiryaama ennatha pakuthu arivu?

After he appeased those in power and those who demanded muting of certain scenes, he has been allowed to release the movie. And then he wrote a long letter to his fans and gave several interviews. He says, “I may live anywhere in the world, but my permanent abode is in your hearts.” By jove! What pakutharivu? If I did an open heart surgery on all these people, would I find Kamal inside each of those hearts? How fossible? Only you fossible! 🙂 🙂 Since he doesn’t believe in such things, he shouldn’t be making such statements!

He goes on to say “Some of them have sent me Xerox copies of their house documents. Some of them have sent me their house keys (they ensured they had a duplicate with them ofcourse!), some of them have sent me cheques, some have sent cash to help me tide over this financial difficulty. I am going to return all of this. I have been beaten into an emotional pulp by all this love! I don’t know how I am ever going to repay all this love. All my films that I do henceforth will be dedicated to my fans and their love.”

Applause, applause! Ok, fine.

Did he pause for a minute to think what all this love was? If this love took a Viswaroopam, it would be called God! 🙂 🙂 Even for a pseudo atheist like Kamal, God helps!