Former AIADMK Minister D. Jayakumar came down heavy on film director Pa. Ranjith for peddling propaganda favourable to the DMK and for portraying former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Dr. MG Ramachandran in his recent film Sarpatta Parambarai.
“We know people who try to hide whole pumpkins within rice but director Pa. Ranjith has concealed the 30-year good rule by wantedly. In the recently released film Sarpatta Parambarai, the scenes are set as if there is no connection between MGR and the sports industry. The film is entirely a propaganda film of the DMK.” he said.
Jayakumar said that MGR was took up the domain of sports both in his movies and during his political career. He said that MGR was an inspiration for many athletes as he in his films had popularized traditional sports like Maankombu Sandai (Deer horn fight0), kickboxing, sword fighting, etc. He said that MGR particularly liked wrestling and kickboxing.
Jayakumar pointed out the instance when MGR brought the international fame boxer Mohammad Ali to Chennai in 1980 for the fundraising tournament of Tamil Nadu Amateur Boxer Association. “After the match, he (MGR) took Mohammad Ali to his Ramapuram house where he served him with Meenkozhambu (fish curry). That is the amount of love he had for boxing”, Jayakumar noted.
He said that he had brought out many initiatives for sportspersons during his time as Chief Minister. “But Sarpetta film shows as if it was only during the DMK regime that sportspersons were given importance and that MGR had not cared for them”.
He said that art is more sharp than history and hence concealing the truth is not just an injustice to the people who made history but also to forthcoming generations.
“What happened to Ranjith the spade who had teared the DMK when it was not in power? Has it become blunt now? For you to seek refuge at the power centre now, is it necessary for you to throw dirt on the opposition? Getting compromised is not just bad for the art but is also not good for the artist”., he said condemning the gross misrepresentation of MGR in the film.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.