In a recent interview with Vikatan, Aishwarya Rajinikanth opened up about the challenges faced during the shooting of her latest film, ‘Lal Salaam’. 

Beginning the interview by acknowledging the response of the public to her film, she claimed that her directorial vision was not what the people liked and much similar to our review, the film was a confusing mess. 

She revealed that they encountered a major setback when they lost 21 days’ worth of footage, leading to significant reshoots and compromises in editing. “We were shocked as we lost 21 days of footage. It was a huge irresponsibility. It’s unfortunate. During the shooting, we had 500 junior artists almost every day. As a team, we were 2,000 people. We had a 10-camera set-up to shoot a cricket match. Since we didn’t have enough days, we brainstormed on camera angles to shoot a match. The entire cricket match footage was lost. It went missing,” Aishwarya said. 

pic.twitter.com/sLDwfoaUVN

— Blue Sattai Maran (@tamiltalkies) March 12, 2024

Despite completing the shooting, Aishwarya explained that they faced budget constraints and logistical issues preventing them from opting for reshoots immediately.  “The shooting was completed – Appa [Rajinikanth], Vishnu Vishal, and Senthil had changed their getups. We couldn’t go for reshoot because of budget constraints and logistical issues. Then we re-edited the film with the footage we had. It was a huge challenge. Rajinikanth and Vishnu Vishal then suggested going for a re-shoot as they didn’t want me to compromise on the quality. We couldn’t completely shoot, but took a few shots and managed the rest. It was a huge compromise. Maybe, it was meant to happen. We need to be more careful. The hard disk went missing,” she said.

When asked if the film could have conveyed better to the audience, she said, “100%, we could not reshoot 2-3 important scenes. The film shooting got delayed by a few days because of rain. Then it became difficult to get the dates. Because of that, some other things were a big compromise.”

Netizens view this statement from Aishwarya as a stupid excuse for making such a poor film. 

Once a wise man said, "A bad worker blames his tools" https://t.co/S1dIFKF5eh

— Prashanth karan (@prashanth_PK18) March 12, 2024

https://twitter.com/its_Surya_14/status/1767529387036188887

Seriously! Ridiculous https://t.co/z5Q98oPWd0

— Hikari Namikaze (@ScorpioAquarian) March 12, 2024

(with inputs from India Today)

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

The post “The Hard Disk Went Missing, We Lost 21 Days’ Footage”, Says Lal Salaam Director Aishwarya Rajinikanth On Not Being Able To Deliver A Good Film appeared first on The Commune.

Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s communal sports drama Lal Salaam, produced by Lyca’s Subaskaran Allirajah, in which Rajinikanth makes an extended cameo as ‘Moideen Bhai’ has ended up as box office disaster.

The movie features Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth in leading roles, with supporting performances by Vignesh, Livingston, Senthil, Jeevitha, KS Ravikumar, and Thambi Ramaiah. 

Released globally on 9 February 2024, the film which reportedly had a budget ranging between ₹80-90 crores, was touted by Aishwarya Rajinikanth as a “national award” winning script which only a ‘non-Sanghi’ person like Rajinikanth can do.

However, it had opened to negative reviews from all corners and the film’s financial trajectory indicates a struggle for recovery, starting with a modest opening collection of ₹3.55 crore in all languages on Friday, followed by ₹3.25 crore on Saturday. Sunday maintained a consistent performance with ₹3.15 crore. However, the numbers took a downturn on the first Monday, and the film garnered approximately ₹1.24 crore in India. Subsequent days witnessed collections of ₹1.45 crore on Tuesday, ₹1.21 crore on Wednesday, and ₹92 lakh on Thursday. Given the movie’s budget and its current performance, it is expected that Lal Salaam will need an extended period to cover even its production costs.

As per the latest update from industry tracker Sacnilk, Lal Salaam continues to face a downturn, the film earned approximately ₹27 lakhs in India on its eighth day of release, bringing the overall box office collection for Lal Salaam to ₹12.95 crore in India and ₹23 crores worldwide.

#NewsUpdate | மிக கடுமையாக சரிந்த ‘லால் சலாம்’ திரைப்படத்தின் வசூல்; வெளியான 8-வது நாளில் இந்தியா முழுவதும் ரூ.27 லட்சம் மட்டுமே வசூல் எனத் தகவல்#movie | #LalSalaam | #India | #collection | #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/OmdSXG3ECt

— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) February 17, 2024

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

The post Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s ‘Lal Salaam’ Ends Up As ‘Flop Salaam’, Collects Just ₹27 Lakhs On Day 8; Had Said Only A ‘Non-Sanghi’ Like Rajini Can Do This Film appeared first on The Commune.

Why was the film named Lal Salaam? During the film’s audio launch speech, Rajini explains – “Red has many faces. Red is associated with communism. Red is also associated with danger. Red is used to symbolise violence. Red also represents revolution. Aishwarya utilises red as a symbol of revolution in her story. ‘Salaam’ means greetings. So ‘Lal Salaam’ is a greeting to revolution because the story itself is like that. A revolutionary tale!”

Towards the end of this review, you will find out which red the Lal in Lal Salaam denotes. 

The film begins with Aishwarya herself doing the narration. Her deep voice pops in here and there to explain the situation to the audience. 

The premise is that to secure votes, politicians divide a harmonious relationship in a fictitious village called Muradbad – wonder if there is some such village in Tamil Nadu. But after watching the film, one can only shout – “Lal Salaam Murdabad!”

By the first 30-odd minutes, we understand that the film is about cricket, Mariamman ther (chariot) festival, politics, riots, and communalism. What a heady mix! The story goes back and forth between the past and present, making it all the more confusing and tiring for the viewer.

Thirunavukkarasu, or Thiru, played by Vishnu Vishal, is sent to jail and is released on bail after six months; when he comes out, he is shown to wear the Taveez – you wonder why it is displayed; you will find the answer towards the end of the film. He comes back from jail but is shunned by everyone in the village. But our hero meets his love interest and sings songs right after this. You expect something to develop on that front, but no. There’s something else.

Cricket comes into the picture now – it is perhaps the most unconvincing aspect connected to a small village in Tamil Nadu. Well, it is fiction, so let’s see where this goes.

Rajinikanth makes his entry at about 25 minutes into the film in what one would see as one of the most underwhelming entries of all time. He makes his entry in the backdrop of the constipated screams of Jalali Jalali by AR Rahman. 

Moideen, the character that Rajinikanth plays, is shown to be the epitome of all virtues, and guess what? He speaks about halal (lawful) and haraam (forbidden) but also beats up people. Beating up people is halal or haraam?

There are too many characters in the film, and it is unclear if Aishwarya wanted to do justice to each of them, as half of the characters appear for a maximum of 5 minutes. Here is a list of those characters:

KS Ravikumar, who plays a politician, is shown for a few minutes in the beginning. He appears for a few seconds in the middle of the film – for what, god knows.

Thiru’s love interest also appears for a maximum of 5 minutes and then for one scene in the second half. She is nowhere to be seen for the rest of the film.

Nirosha, who plays Moideen/Rajini’s wife, also has very few dialogues to mouth; she stands there in scenes like a prop. 

Two villain characters in the Bombay scenes also appear for a few minutes each. 

At the film’s beginning, it is shown that the year is 1993. Guess what? Kapil Dev also enters into this already big confusion. He is shown as a cricket coach, but it was in 1994 that Kapil retired. So, what are they trying to establish here? God knows… 

There are some very cliched dialogues about Moideen’s love for his wife – he compares it with that of Shahjahan and Mumtaz. Or the one where Moideen preaches that Muslims who stayed back in India during partition did so out of love/patriotism for the country – ho-hum. These tropes have been debunked long back; please give us something new. 

This film has more enjoyable cricket than Blue Star, which was touted as a sports film. Thiru and Shamsuddin (Moideen’s son), played by Vikrant, play some great cricket. 

Politicians are shown to manipulate communal sentiments, toying with the people’s emotions. But they had to show them as Hindus. In today’s time and age, it is clear as crystal who makes inflammatory statements, calls for Sar Tan Se Juda, and who talks about the treatment of Kaffirs.  

Usual Secularist Tropes

The portrayal of the villain as a Hindu and the do-gooder as a Muslim in the narrative follows a seemingly calculated script of perfect secularism. The storyline accentuates a divisive depiction by illustrating Hindus as lacking unity while presenting Muslims as remarkably united. This deliberate narrative choice not only perpetuates stereotypes but also raises questions about the underlying motives and biases within the storytelling.

The two heroes are depicted in contrasting ways: Thiru, the Hindu protagonist, is portrayed as a drunkard who disregards his mother’s advice, engages in physical altercations, and embraces violence. On the other hand, Shamsu, the Muslim hero, is presented as highly focused, attentive to his parents’ guidance, and devoid of any detrimental habits.

The contrast between the Islamic festival, where all Hindus participate, and the Hindu theru festival reveals a notable disparity. The Hindu villains are shown as taking the guise of Muslims wearing skullcaps and are shown as instigators of riots. The narrative takes a distressing turn when the Hindu antagonist inflicts permanent harm on Moideen’s son. Was this the current “climate” Aishwarya mentioned in her speech? Real Hindus never indulge in such cowardly acts of pretending to be Muslims to start a riot. Such portrayals only perpetuate harmful stereotypes. 

Towards the end, the revelation about how the taveez saves Thiru feels like a predictable and overused trope. 

Some Other Observations

The Hindu festivals are portrayed with the right zeal, accompanied by a song that evokes the right celebratory emotions for just a few minutes. 

While discussing logic in cinema is probably incorrect, this one could not be overlooked. Shamsu, after losing his arm, tries to hang himself with one hand. The entire film is like this – zero cohesiveness and clarity. 

The person who played the character, Michael, speaks inspirational stuff much better than Rajini himself. Senthil and Thambi Ramaiah act with conviction. Thiru and Shamsu do their best to play their parts. The face of the film, Rajinikanth, fails at emoting in what could have been a heart-wrenching scene – when he hears about Shamsu losing his arm, Moideen/Rajini emotes poorly, while Nirosha does better. 

In fact, Thambi Ramaiah and the character depicting Mariamma show more profound emotion when the theru is burnt than Rajini when he learns his son has lost a hand. For a seasoned actor, he fails to bring out the emotions of a parent. 

This film could have been made into something entirely different, perhaps focusing solely on sports, but the communal element just had to be there to peddle the propaganda of political masters. With a runtime of 2.5 hours, the film feels excessively long, lacking any substantial content. 

Towards the end, Rajini performs some stunts, which will probably thrill the Rajini fans and frontbenchers, but that is all there is to this film. 

In the concluding scene, the theru (chariot) magically reappears (after it gets burnt, thanks to the villain in the previous scene), courtesy of Moideen, who actively participates in the festival and carries the idol to the theru. Now, is this haraam or halal? #JustAsking

As a viewer, as the film ends, one would indeed feel like Vivek as Emotional Ekambaram from the film Utamaputhiram – “Confusion of the constitution of the institution of the loose motion!”

Father & Daughter

This is Aishwarya’s 3rd directorial venture, and she still hasn’t gotten a grip on things. She fails miserably on all fronts. There are too many people in the mix – big names, small names, unnecessary characters – everything feels forced fit to go by the secularism playbook where Hindus are the villains. This film is much worse than her UN “dance” performance. 

Rajini seems to have taken up this film to save his daughter from misery – as per her speech at the Lal Salaam audio launch, where she confessed that no one came forward to be a part of this film or act in the Moideen role. To avoid looking like a failure, she spun it as “If Rajinikanth were a Sanghi, he wouldn’t have acted in the film Lal Salaam. A Sanghi cannot act in this film. Only a humanist can act in such a film. Only Rajini has that courage; no one else could have done it.” 

Only a fool would have taken up this project to show their “humanity” towards her – no one in their right mind would have taken up this completely rubbish script with poor screenplay and direction. And she said this role was worth a National Award? Who was she kidding? And a revolutionary tale? Yes, we are all laughing.

In her Lal Salaam audio launch speech, Aishwarya also mentioned, “My film will be on all your lists.” Yes, in the To-Avoid list. The meaning of Lal in Lal Salaam is, as mentioned by Rajinikanth – danger – take it as a warning to avoid the film at all costs; not even worth a watch on OTT, save yourselves the headache. 

If you happen to watch the film and get one, try to get some comic relief by watching the below video.

Old video of #AishwaryaRajinikanth goes viral after her "My father is not a Sanghi" remark. #Rajinikanth𓃵 #LalSalaamAudioLaunch pic.twitter.com/t0xIiVBYmq

— The Commune (@TheCommuneMag) January 27, 2024

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

The post Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s Lal Salaam Is As Good As Her UN Dance Performance, Even Her ‘Non-Sanghi’ Father Rajini Can’t Save This Film appeared first on The Commune.

There is a famous comedy scene from the 2004 Tamil film Kaadhal. The scene set in the room of a bachelors mansion, is a conversation between two aspiring actors and supposedly a director who is jobless. One of the actor aspirants going by the name Virchikakanth has his target set.  “Nadicha hero than sir!” (I’ll act only as a hero), he says to the director when asked about whether he would be willing to do villain roles or character roles. “I’ll wait for it to happen”, Virchikakanth says. This character Virchikakanth hopes that a miracle would happen and that he would become hero one day.

Like Virchikakanth, Rajinikanth too was not ready to settle for being a leader of opposition (villain role) or coalition partner (character role). Though Rajinikanth didn’t aspire to be the hero in Tamil Nadu politics, which is becoming the Chief Minister, he wanted to emerge victor and bring about a ‘system change’. Like Virchikakanth, he too hoped that a miracle (adhisayam and arpudham) would happen where all of a sudden Tamil Nadu people would feel rejuvenated and vote for him. But realpolitik doesn’t work like a Sundar C movie. (Refer: Arunachalam, the film). Sanity prevailed and he called it quits to his political innings dejecting many of his ardent fans.

But his politicking hasn’t stopped. He continues to play the good cop, bad cop and has of late turned out to be a milksop through his actions and utterances in reel and real life.

One day he is in Ayodhya wearing a saffron shawl and a few days later his daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth swears that he is not a “Sanghi”.

He is a devotee of Mahavatara Babaji and often goes to the Himalayas like a sadhu but has a problem with people painting him saffron.

So, who is Rajini? Is Rajini a Sanghi or not? To find answer to this question, it is important to understand the evolution of Rajinikanth and the various positions he has taken over the course of time. People must look back and reflect on Rajini’s positions before taking a position on Rajini.

The Good Cop Rajini

Rajinikanth is no doubt a self-made man and has earned his place as a ‘Superstar’. He definitely has the grace of God and the blessings of his fans to be where he is today and he has always been grateful for that. At a time when Kollywoodias embraced the Dravidian ideology, he proudly sported the sacred ash on his forehead and a rudraksh over his neck. Being a devotee of Raghavendra Swami, he ensured that he made a film on the Hindu saint as his 100th film. He also paid his tribute to Mahavatar Babaji by making Baba in 2002 in which he takes on the Dravidian Model of atheism and corrupt politicians with Hinduism. And when the film bombed at the box office, he compensated the distributors from his own pocket.

Baba was also a film that put him in political cross hairs with Dravidianist politicians. Karunanidhi, the witty politician that he was, saw to it that the film faced troubles. There were rioters who assaulted movie theatres and destroyed movie prints in numerous locations. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) created a furore over Rajinikanth smoking in the movie. And guess how Rajinikanth dealt with all this? The daring Rajini gave a go ahead to his fan clubs to vote against DMK-PMK alliance and elect candidates of the AIADMK and BJP in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. This put even the great Karunanidhi in backfoot who later asked Ramadoss to be “patient” until the elections were over. Such was the audacity of Rajini back then.

In 2011, Rajinikanth declared his endorsement of the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, generously providing his commercial wedding venue, the Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam in Chennai, for the India Against Corruption members to conduct their fast at no charge.

But this is a Rajini we all know – the superstar actor, the humble and simple man with a spiritual bent.

But there is also the other face of Rajini.

The Bad Cop Rajini

Rajnikanth made a cameo in the film, Valli (1993) in which the actor incorporated messages discouraging Hindus from advocating for Sri Rama’s birthplace. This film produced by Rajinikanth himself had a theatrical release when the watershed Ram Janmabhoomi movement led by Hindu outfits and the BJP, was at its zenith and had culminated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Before that he had badmouthed Lord Rama in a black and white movie hailing Ravana as the true gentleman.

In the 2018 film “Kaala”, directed by rabid anti-Hindu filmmaker Pa. Ranjith, Rajinikanth is the black shirt-clad messiah of a chawl fighting the saffron shawl and tilak sporting evil men. There were scenes where Hindu festivals were demonized, with Lord Vinayaka and Lord Ram shown in negative light. Every villain in the film, including the main antagonist Hari (another name for Lord Vishnu), is a practicing Hindu, sporting religious symbols of saffron/Hinduism. Hari frequently talks about Krishna and Rama while justifying his evil deeds and Kaala threatens him, “If stealing my land is your God’s Dharma, then I won’t spare your God either.” It even contained a blatant reference to prominent BJP leader H. Raja to reinforce negative stereotypes about the Narendra Modi Government.

The lead up to the climax show Hari Dada listening to a discourse on Ramayana with full devotion while Rajini, the Ravana fights the saffronists.

In 2018, Rajinikanth and Sun Pictures again collaborated for Petta directed by Karthik Subbaraj , a known sympathizer of LTTE and naxals like Daniel/Thirumurugan Gandhi. Petta too took potshots at Hindutva and on the other hand, Rajini helps in Anwar getting married to Anu.

Both Petta and Kaala took potshots at Hindutva that showed anyone with a tilak on a forehead as a religious bigot. This was the time when Tamil Nadu was riding on a huge anti-Modi and anti-Hindutva wave, thanks to the toiling efforts of the DMK and allies that used every opportunity to portray Modi as anti-Tamil.

Rajini tried to capitalize on this sentiment by positioning himself as being against Hindutva and the BJP. Just like how he added fuel to the fire in 1996 elections, Rajini did the same although not explicitly for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

He even distanced himself from outrightly coming in support of Modi (like he did for demonetisation) in the run up to the elections. He struck a tactfully eluding note with his ‘ten persons ganging against one’ remark. NDA alliance (ADMK) went with 1 seat from Tamil Nadu.

Looks like now, he’s also ready to do his bit ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with Lal Salaam made by his daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth, and Vettaiyan made by Dravidainist propagandist TJ Gnanavel of ‘Jai Bhim’ fame, in the pipeline. In Lal Salaam which is releasing on 9 February 2024, Rajinikanth plays Moideen Bhai, the good Muslim while another villain (Adithya Menon) is portrayed with a nice red tilak.

Playing Good Cop In Real Life And Bad Cop In Reel Life

Nobody can play good cop – bad cop like how Rajini does. Reel Rajini instigates people to protest while real Rajini says that the state would turn into a cremation/burial ground if there are needless protests while also rightly pointing out how anti-social elements infest peaceful protests and unleash mayhem. Reel Rajini dances to the tunes of Dravidianists and glorifies ideologies of EVR while real Rajini talks about EVR’s anti-Hindu rally while speaking at Thuglak event. Reel Rajini negatively characterizes Lord Ram while real Rajini goes and attends the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya. Reel Rajini is a Moideen Bhai who looks at the side of saffron-shawl clad man and says that venom has been injected into people by mixing religion and sports, while real Rajini speaks of justice being done after 500 years with the building of Ram Temple. You get the point right? As the popular Tamil saying goes – ipdi oru uruttu, apdi oru uruttu (roll one this side and another that side).

But it is a fact that the impressions created through the silver screen has a deeper impact on the psyche of the people and the larger society. And so, the reel and real life Rajini cannot be seen in isolation. Real life Rajinikanth chose to work with a rabid anti-Hindu director like Pa. Ranjith. Real life Rajinikanth gave in to the negative portrayal of Lord Ram and Lord Vinayaka and demonized Ram Bhakts. Real life Rajinikanth chose to do Petta that showed Bajrang Dal in bad light. Real life Rajinikanth chose to be a Moideen Bhai in Lal Salaam and justified his daughter’s derogatory usage of the word Sanghi. Real life Rajinikanth has chosen to associate himself with a Dravidianist propagandist director who spewed venom against Brahmins and insinuated Vanniyars as villains. Real life Rajinikanth who is in a position to do the film that he wants, to produce the film that he wants, to influence the filmmaker and modify the script to convey the message that he wants, did not do so.

What prevents the real life Rajinikanth to launch his own production house and produce something like an RRR or Hanu-Man? These are food for thought for Rajini fans inclined towards the nationalistic thought.

The Milksop Rajini

Rajini is said to have become political in the run up to the 1996 Assembly elections when he raised his voice against the then Jayalalithaa government and said “Even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa returns to power”.  This statement is said to have swayed votes in favour of the DMK-TMC alliance. But there was already public anger against Jayalalithaa for having hosted the multi-crore, Guiness record breaking, extravagant marriage of her adopted son V.N. Sudhakaran when she was in office. The grandiose image of both Jayalalithaa and Sasikala draped in ornate red silk sarees and adorned with jewels came to be identified with corruption. Rajinikanth just added fuel to the already raging fire. The election saw AIADMK getting routed to just 4 seats with even the mighty Jayalalithaa losing from the Bargur constituency.

The Many U-Turns

Knowing that he must have earned the lady’s wrath, Rajini under the pretext of inviting for his daughter’s marriage met Jayalalithaa at her residence in 2004. It would be wrong to speculate on what transpired between the two during their meet but we all know who Jayalalithaa is. The least she would have demanded was an apology to fix relations. Later on he would go on to call her a reincarnation of Ashtalakshmi in 2006 at a function held to felicitate Jayalalithaa. When Jayalalithaa got bail in the disproportionate assets case in October 2014, Rajinikanth congratulated her. In February 2017, Jayalalithaa was later named as a convict along with Sasikala, Elavarasi and Sudhakaran but proceedings were abated owing to her death. Same case, but different positions at different points of time. From proclaiming that even God won’t be able to save Tamil Nadu to liking her to God, Rajinikanth’s tryst with Jaya came a full circle.

Just days after participating in a hunger strike and vociferously attacking the Karnataka political class over the Hogenakkal project in 2008, he made peace with the pro-Kannada groups when his film Kuselan faced problems releasing in Karnataka. “It was a mistake. I have learnt a big lesson. The mistake will not be repeated. I will be careful while speaking in future and make sure that I don’t hurt anybody”, he said.

In 2002, he had pledged ₹1 crore towards linking river waters. 15 years later in 2017, he was reminded of the promise by a group of farmers. There is still no concrete evidence whether such a fund was given to the concerned Ministry.

His film Darbar, had a dialogue that carries a reference to Sasikala which was removed after opposition from Sasikala group. Now people can say that this is the producer’s choice and Rajini has nothing to do with it. Be that as it may, it does send across a message about how serious he was about ‘changing the system’.

Rajinikanth while declaring his entry into politics, had quoted Bhagawad Gita to say that he would be considered a ‘coward’ if he didn’t abide by the compulsions of time. It was only after his political entry announcement that he did films like Kaala and Petta.

In 2019, the pandemic struck and Rajini too suffered a health setback with a kidney transplant and being under immunosuppressants which was cited as the reason for his withdrawal from politics once and for all just ahead of 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The DMK and other Dravidianist parties heaved a sigh of relief. And he went on to do films for DMK family-owned enterprises – Sun Pictures (Annathe, Jailer) and Red Giant (Lal Salaam).

Rajinikanth, who released a picture of his ‘angry face’ expressing shock over the custodial death of Jayaraj & Bennix that happened during AIADMK regime has not uttered a word about the many custodial deaths that has happened ever since the DMK came to power.

Is Rajini A Sanghi Or Not?

During the audio launch of her film ‘Lal Salaam’ starring her father, Aishwarya Rajinikanth said “People label my father as a sanghi. I want to assert here that Rajinikanth is not a sanghi. If he were, he wouldn’t have been a part of Lal Salaam.”. 

She had said that “only a person with humanity would do Lal Salaam” implying that “Sanghis” lack humanity.

The term Sanghi refers to a devout Hindu, a subscriber of Hindutva ideology, an RSS worker, a support of BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and everything in that spectrum. However, it is often used derogatorily by leftists, Islamists and Dravidianists. It can be inferred from Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s statement that the term ‘Sanghi’ was used pejoratively with a negative connotation.

But Rajinikanth defended and buttressed his daughter’s statement saying she didn’t say Sanghi as a ‘bad word’ and that she was only concerned about her spiritual father being branded a Sanghi when he loved all religions. So, what is Rajinikanth implying here? Does he mean to say that Sanghis are religious bigots?

So, to answer the question – Yes, Aishwarya Rajinikanth is right. Rajinikanth is not a Sanghi and cannot be a Sanghi.

A true Sanghi‘s colour always remains saffron. Only a chameleon changes colours.

Kaushik is a political writer.

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally. 

The post ‘Moondru Mugam’ Rajini: The Good Cop, Bad Cop And The Milksop appeared first on The Commune.

The audio launch event of Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s third directorial venture, “Lal Salaam,” was held on 26 January 2024 where she addressed the speculation of personal attacks about her father stating that ‘Rajinikanth is not a Sanghi, if he were, he wouldn’t have acted in the movie “Lal Salaam.”

#JUSTIN | "ரஜினிகாந்த் சங்கி கிடையாது" – ஐஸ்வர்யா ரஜினிகாந்த் #AishwaryaRajinikanth | #Rajinikanth𓃵 | #LalSalaamAudioLaunch | #LalSalaam pic.twitter.com/dwMWvKg5sQ

— PuthiyathalaimuraiTV (@PTTVOnlineNews) January 26, 2024

Despite this clarification, the term “Sanghi” continues to linger, leading to criticism and support for Aishwarya and her father, with many accusing Rajinikanth of hypocrisy. There were mixed responses among netizens.

One netizen commented ‘Yes he is not Sanghi. He is more than that‘ and he emphasized this by sharing a picture that suggests he is from a different state. 

ஆமா சங்கி இல்ல அதுக்கும் மேல pic.twitter.com/Bht7PJESdi

— 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍 𝐉𝐑 (@Vetrimaran_TM) January 26, 2024

Another netizen posted a video of Rajinikanth’s visit to the residence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on August 2023. In the video, Rajinikanth respectfully bowed and touched Yogi Adityanath’s feet, but this gesture sparked criticism and ridicule.

https://t.co/TqOvIjv3EF
Sanghi Rajini.

— Amanulla (@Ariyaloreariya) January 22, 2024

 Another user asked ‘Does Sanghi mean a bad word?’ (derogatory)

சங்கி-ன்னா கெட்ட வார்த்தையா? pic.twitter.com/cJoehyVmRR

— Dr. தீபக் (@nikaran_tn) January 26, 2024

Another internet user claimed, “Thanks for confirming that the term ‘sanghi’ is considered derogatory.“

சங்கி என்பது கெட்ட வார்த்தை என்று மீண்டும் உறுதி செய்தமைக்கு
நன்றி

— தோழன் O.3 (@pk_comrade_03) January 26, 2024

 Another netizen expressed that ‘He is sanghi. Do not say anything to promote the film’

சங்கிதான்!
படம் ஓடணும்னு ஏதாவது பேசக்கூடாது….

— Political Memes (@Political_satir) January 26, 2024

Following this, actor Rajinikanth, who was at Chennai airport en route to Vijayawada, was questioned by the media who wanted to clarify their doubts. Rajinikanth dismissed the notion asserting that this statment was not a promotional tactic for the Lal Salaam film.

#BREAKING ‘சங்கி' கெட்டவார்த்தைனு ஐஸ்வர்யா எங்கும் சொல்லல -ரஜினிகாந்த்#rajinikanth #aishwaryarajinikanth #lalsalaam #news18tamilnadu | https://t.co/7dpn9FD15R pic.twitter.com/kWlRghQVjb

— News18 Tamil Nadu (@News18TamilNadu) January 29, 2024

The reporters questioned Rajinikanth saying his daughter asked everyone not to refer her father as a “Sanghi”. Rajinikanth replied, “Aishwarya did not mention Sanghi as a derogatory term anywhere, her view is why everyone is referring to him like that when Dad is a spiritualist and loves all religions.”.  Rajinikanth also mentioned that the movie Lal Salaam was based on religious harmony.

#BREAKING லால் சலாம் படத்தை விளம்பரப்படுத்த சங்கி விவகாரம் பற்றி ஐஸ்வர்யா பேசவில்லை – ரஜினி காந்த் விளக்கம் #rajinikanth #aishwaryarajinikanth #lalsalaam #news18tamilnadu | https://t.co/7dpn9FD15R pic.twitter.com/nG8myyiWJ2

— News18 Tamil Nadu (@News18TamilNadu) January 29, 2024

Sanghi is a term referring to a devout Hindu, a subscriber of Hindutva ideology, a support of BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and everything in that spectrum. However, it is used by leftists, Islamists and Dravidianists to derogate their ideological and political opponents.

It can be inferred from Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s statement that the term ‘Sanghi’ was used pejoratively with a negative connotation. She had said that “only a person with humanity would do Lal Salaam” implies that “Sanghis” lack humanity.

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

The post “Aishwarya Didn’t Say Sanghi Is A Bad Word”, Rajinikanth Defends Daughter Saying She Only Meant To Say He Loves All Religions appeared first on The Commune.

The audio launch event for Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s third directorial venture, “Lal Salaam,” took place on 26 January 2024, at Sri Sairam Institute of Technology in Chennai. The film stars Vikranth and Vishnu Vishal in lead roles, and actor Rajinikanth makes an extended cameo as Moideen Bhai. The musical score is by AR Rahman, and Lyca Productions is producing the film, which is scheduled for theatrical release on 9 February 2024.

Thankful..grateful…blessed ! #lalsalaam pic.twitter.com/siMpS16a85

— Aishwarya Rajinikanth (@ash_rajinikanth) January 26, 2024

During the event, Aishwarya Rajinikanth addressed the personal attacks her father, Rajinikanth, faced on social media. She clarified, “People label my father as a sanghi. I want to assert here that Rajinikanth is not a sanghi. If he were, he wouldn’t have been a part of “Lal Salaam”. Rajinikanth became emotional and teary-eyed upon hearing these words.

#JUSTIN | "ரஜினிகாந்த் சங்கி கிடையாது" – ஐஸ்வர்யா ரஜினிகாந்த் #AishwaryaRajinikanth | #Rajinikanth𓃵 | #LalSalaamAudioLaunch | #LalSalaam pic.twitter.com/dwMWvKg5sQ

— PuthiyathalaimuraiTV (@PTTVOnlineNews) January 26, 2024

AR Rahman, when speaking, said , “Rajinikanth transcends religious boundaries”.

Regarding “Lal Salaam”, Rajinikanth shared, “My character, Moideen Bhai, is inspired by a real person from a southern district, and the film depicts an incident from 1992. To protect his identity from opportunists, it remains undisclosed”. The actor then discussed religious harmony and the fundamental principles of Hinduism.

Calling Out The Hypocrisy Of Rajinikanth

Our special article in The Commune penned on why Rajini is perceived as an opportunist rather than a ‘Sanghi’, citing instances where he has, on multiple occasions, portrayed animosity against Hindus in his movies.

Particularly Rajinikanth in ‘Lal Salaam’ takes on the role of Moideen Bhai, portraying the character of a virtuous Muslim, while another antagonist, Adithya Menon is depicted with a distinctive red tilak. In a pivotal scene, Moideen Bhai, observing the presence of Senthil clad in a saffron shawl, remarks, “What have you guys done! You’ve blended politics with religion! You’ve injected venom into the innocent children playing!”

The question arises whether there will be a scene featuring Muslim players engaging in namaz on the field, similar to Pakistani players. The answer remains uncertain, but considering that the film is being released by Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giants, it is reasonable to assume the outcome.

While it’s acknowledged that not every actor can control the script of their film, Rajinikanth, being a highly popular figure, holds significant influence. Fans take his messages seriously, and he has the power to select scripts or shape them to convey his desired messages. Despite this, he chose to participate in projects like “Kaala,” demonizing Ram Bhakts, “Petta,” attempting to portray Bajrang Dal negatively, and “Lal Salaam,” collaborating with another leftist-Dravidianist propagandist. Giving him the benefit of the doubt would be akin to self-deception. Despite Rajinikanth’s outwardly spiritual and god-fearing persona, one must not isolate his real-life beliefs from his reel-life portrayals.

Netizens reacted on social media regarding whether he is can be called a “Sanghi” or if he is an opportunist.

நான் #சங்கி கிடையாது என்று கூட #ரஜினியால் சொல்ல முடியாது

இது கூட சங்கி நாடகம் தான்
இதுவும் நடிப்பு தான்
நாங்கள் ஆயிரம் முறை சொல்லுவோம் #சங்கி_ரஜினி

— செல்வேந்திரன் கு (@kselvendranss1) January 26, 2024

Another netizen posted a video of Rajinikanth’s visit to the residence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on August 2023. In the video, Rajinikanth respectfully bowed and touched Yogi Adityanath’s feet, but this gesture sparked criticism and ridicule.

https://t.co/TqOvIjv3EF
Sanghi Rajini.

— Amanulla (@Ariyaloreariya) January 22, 2024

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

The post “My Father Not A Sanghi, Only A Person With Humanity Would Do Lal Salaam”: Aishwarya Rajinikanth Stokes Controversy appeared first on The Commune.