It is not new for Tamil film heroes to resort to virtue signalling and positioning themselves politically once they taste success in the tinsel world. That is because the Tamil film industry is intertwined with the politics of the state.
While the late Dr. MGR was a once in a lifetime phenomenon, every Tom, Dick and Harry in Kollywood who has a fan base thinks that he too can become a demigod like him some day. But that just won’t happen. Superstar Rajinikanth himself realized this who virtually has no haters and is admired by people across age and communities.
But there are many actors ranging from Vijay to Vijaysethupathi who have been posturing themselves politically of late. They think that their popularity is merit enough to comment on socio-political affairs and influence the masses. This trend among Tamil film personalities has risen especially after the demise of late AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa. These political wannabes who had hitherto kept their tails tucked between their legs when the iron lady was around are now flexing their muscles.
One such actor-turned-virtue signaller is Suriya Sivakumar.
What Explains Suriya’s Grudge Against The Centre?
Suriya has been radiating wokeness for quite some time now. Since he runs a non-profit organization that finances education for underprivileged students, he started to view himself as a social justice warrior and a champion of rights.
While it is a noble gesture to finance education for poor children, there is an element of self-interest that exists because creation of a non-profit organization helps in exempting a portion of the income from taxes. Not just Suriya, all actors who makes several crores in a year create such ‘for-profit’ and ‘not-for-profit’ entities for investment or tax exemption purposes. There is nothing wrong in that.
But what seems to have made Suriya anti-Centre in the recent years is that the Modi Government has streamlined and tightened the money coming into India from foreign countries through entities registered under the Foreign Contribution and Regulation Act (FCRA). Hence, all FCRA-registered NGOs including Agaram Foundation has been dealing with more government scrutiny. This could be one reason for Suriya’s continued ill will towards the present government at Delhi.
It could also be due to the influence of his wife’s sister Nagma, the General Secretary of women’s wing of the Congress party.
Another plausible reason could be that film producer K. E. Gnanavel Raja, a relative of Suriya, has been accused of tax evasion and money laundering.
The Income Tax Department in April 2019 had raided his office premises and found that Gnanavel Raja had concealed his income. After the raid, he had filed the revised returns and admitted to various unaccounted cash payments made during financial years of 2007-08 and 2008-09. A non-bailable warrant was issued against him by the Egmore Economic Offences Court.
Later in 2020, he was summoned by the Madras High Court over a ₹300 crore money laundering case which traces its origins to a chit fund scam case in which Gnanavel Raja was booked as an accused.
Now, why is Gnanavel Raja significant?
Gnanavel Raja was the producer for most of the movies of Suriya and Karthi. He had bankrolled two films each of Suriya and Karthi from 2006 to 2010, approximately the period for which he has been accused of tax evasion and money laundering.
Put the pieces of the puzzle together, the larger motives of Suriya’s anger would be clear.
Now, all this was being noticed by a wolf which has been salivating to satisfy its power hunger.
Enter DMK.
The Making Of A DMK Stooge
Suriya started dancing to the tunes of the DMK, just weeks after Jayalalithaa’s death. His voice against NEET gave credence to DMK’s propaganda on the exam which was politicizing the suicide of a poor girl. He used the exact terms that a DMK spokesperson would use in TV debates calling NEET and other exams as ‘Manu Needhi’ (Laws of Manu) and even went to the extent of derogating the courts for their stance. The actor also opposed the New Education Policy (NEP) saying that it tried to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states and that the policy as a whole is anti-poor.
Not just him, his brother Karthi who runs the Uzhavan Foundation too has also been radiating ignorance in all glory whenever he gets the opportunity. He had issued statements against the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 and even the farmer empowerment laws. In another subtle yet insinuating propaganda against Prime Minister Modi, Karthi in his utter flop movie Thambi (2019) took a veiled jibe at the former’s life as a tea seller.
But both the woke brothers maintained stoic silence when the AIADMK-BJP government at the State and Centre found solutions to several of Tamil Nadu’s problems. Suriya has kept his mouth shut over record number of underprivileged government school students joining medical seats through the 7.5% internal quota brought by the erstwhile AIADMK government led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Karthi who runs a foundation for farmers never bothered to congratulate the Central and State government over the long standing Cauvery dispute getting resolved.
Despite being from the same community, Suriya and his family did not wish well for Palaniswami despite the latter solving many of the pressing issues of Tamil Nadu, be it the Cauvery issue or NEET. But post the victory of DMK in the 2021 Assembly elections, Suriya has been all praises for MK Stalin right from his congratulatory note on taking over as CM to the recent Jai Bhim episode. ‘Why?’, one may wonder.
This is where political observers suspect a larger ploy at play with Suriya being used as a pawn of the DMK in its political game.
Project ‘Udhaya Suriya’
Political observers who follow Tamil Nadu politics can vouch that the DMK is a party that is both anti-Hindu and anti-Dalit. The DMK has been able to consolidate the religious minority votes in the state through appeasement and by slandering Hindus and Hindu religion. But with a rising Hindu consciousness in the state, the DMK is desperately trying to break from its anti-Hindu image. That is why one can see the DMK-friendly media covering Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Minister P.K. Sekar Babu extensively.
On the other hand, the DMK is also trying to shed its anti-Dalit image by employing various theatrics. The recent episode of a Narikurava woman alleging that she was denied Annadanam at a temple, then sharing a meal with the HR&CE Minister, which finally culminated in CM Stalin’s visit to her home followed by announcement of welfare schemes for the community shows that the DMK is yet to come out of election campaign mode. Those aware of how political rhetoric works may see through the drama but to the commoner, this would seem like a revolutionary step taken by MK Stalin. The AIADMK or the BJP definitely can take a lesson or two from the DMK on rhetoric politics.
At the outset it may seem that the DMK is a friend of the downtrodden and oppressed but in reality, their hatred for Dalits equals if not trumps their hatred for Brahmins. It is to cover up their anti-Dalit history that these dramas are enacted.
But it isn’t just that. The DMK wants to expand its footprint in western Tamil Nadu where it has been weak. Now, this is where Suriya fits in the DMK’s scheme of things.
The caste equation between Vanniyars who are concentrated in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu, and the Kongu Vellala Gounders concentrated in the western part of the state, was one of the major factors for the AIADMK alliance to sweep these regions. In fact, the DMK was wiped out in all 10 constituencies of Coimbatore. The caste-cum-political alliance benefitted the AIADMK alliance in the 2021 Assembly polls that helped them bag 18 out of 24 Assembly segments in North-West Tamil Nadu which comprises of 4 Lok Sabha seats of Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, and Kallakurichi.
In areas closer to Erode and Namakkal, the alliance between Arunthathiyars (one of the most downtrodden even within the Scheduled Caste community) and the Gounders helped them clinch sizeable number of votes. If this alliance were to continue for the 2024 Assembly Elections, this region will once again overwhelmingly vote for the NDA alliance.
This caste-cum-political equation is what the DMK is trying to split by pitting the Vanniyars against Dalits and Gounders through a Gounder pawn named Suriya. The DMK will try to eat into the AIADMK’s Gounder votes while simultaneously consolidating other non-Brahmin landed castes like Mudaliars, Chettiars, Naidus, etc. This division between Vanniyars – Gounders – Arunthathiyars will result in a political field that will benefit the DMK. Atleast, that is what the DMK’s game plan seems to look like on paper.
Hence, it is in this light that one is compelled to view the mischievous distortions in the movie Jai Bhim which has spread canards against Vanniyars. It is therefore important for anti-DMK parties to exercise caution while reacting to this issue.
Suriya’s politics became evident in Soorarai Pottru itself which was again a distortion of the story of Air Deccan’s G.R. Gopinath who is a Brahmin and a capitalist. In the movie, he is shown as a follower of anti-Hindu bigot ‘Periyar’ E.V. Ramasamy Naicker and a ‘socialist’ capitalist (God knows what that means!).
The film Jai Bhim is dashed with basic tenets of the DMK all over – unwarranted Brahmin bashing, instigating violence against Hindi speakers and caste politics showing Vanniyars in negative light.
Suriya and director T.J. Gnanavel have denied allegations of maligning Vanniyars saying that the placement of the calendar with Agni motif (sacred symbol of Vanniyars) was just incidental in the course of taking creative liberty. But there are umpteen references in the movie that proves beyond doubt that the makers of the movie have deliberately used props to portray Vanniyars as villains.
His audacious reply to PMK leader Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss letter only shows that he has the full backing of the ruling DMK.
His next film with Sun Pictures titled ‘Edharkkum Thunindhavan’ which is said to reportedly based on the Pollachi sexual harassment case only makes it all the more apparent.
What Suriya has made clear through all these moves is that he is not just actor Suriya anymore but has transformed into ‘Udhaya Suriya’.
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The Rise Of ‘Udhaya Suriya’: A DMK Project
It is not new for Tamil film heroes to resort to virtue signalling and positioning themselves politically once they taste success in the tinsel world. That is because the Tamil film industry is intertwined with the politics of the state.
While the late Dr. MGR was a once in a lifetime phenomenon, every Tom, Dick and Harry in Kollywood who has a fan base thinks that he too can become a demigod like him some day. But that just won’t happen. Superstar Rajinikanth himself realized this who virtually has no haters and is admired by people across age and communities.
But there are many actors ranging from Vijay to Vijaysethupathi who have been posturing themselves politically of late. They think that their popularity is merit enough to comment on socio-political affairs and influence the masses. This trend among Tamil film personalities has risen especially after the demise of late AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa. These political wannabes who had hitherto kept their tails tucked between their legs when the iron lady was around are now flexing their muscles.
One such actor-turned-virtue signaller is Suriya Sivakumar.
What Explains Suriya’s Grudge Against The Centre?
Suriya has been radiating wokeness for quite some time now. Since he runs a non-profit organization that finances education for underprivileged students, he started to view himself as a social justice warrior and a champion of rights.
While it is a noble gesture to finance education for poor children, there is an element of self-interest that exists because creation of a non-profit organization helps in exempting a portion of the income from taxes. Not just Suriya, all actors who makes several crores in a year create such ‘for-profit’ and ‘not-for-profit’ entities for investment or tax exemption purposes. There is nothing wrong in that.
But what seems to have made Suriya anti-Centre in the recent years is that the Modi Government has streamlined and tightened the money coming into India from foreign countries through entities registered under the Foreign Contribution and Regulation Act (FCRA). Hence, all FCRA-registered NGOs including Agaram Foundation has been dealing with more government scrutiny. This could be one reason for Suriya’s continued ill will towards the present government at Delhi.
It could also be due to the influence of his wife’s sister Nagma, the General Secretary of women’s wing of the Congress party.
Another plausible reason could be that film producer K. E. Gnanavel Raja, a relative of Suriya, has been accused of tax evasion and money laundering.
The Income Tax Department in April 2019 had raided his office premises and found that Gnanavel Raja had concealed his income. After the raid, he had filed the revised returns and admitted to various unaccounted cash payments made during financial years of 2007-08 and 2008-09. A non-bailable warrant was issued against him by the Egmore Economic Offences Court.
Later in 2020, he was summoned by the Madras High Court over a ₹300 crore money laundering case which traces its origins to a chit fund scam case in which Gnanavel Raja was booked as an accused.
Now, why is Gnanavel Raja significant?
Gnanavel Raja was the producer for most of the movies of Suriya and Karthi. He had bankrolled two films each of Suriya and Karthi from 2006 to 2010, approximately the period for which he has been accused of tax evasion and money laundering.
Put the pieces of the puzzle together, the larger motives of Suriya’s anger would be clear.
Now, all this was being noticed by a wolf which has been salivating to satisfy its power hunger.
Enter DMK.
The Making Of A DMK Stooge
Suriya started dancing to the tunes of the DMK, just weeks after Jayalalithaa’s death. His voice against NEET gave credence to DMK’s propaganda on the exam which was politicizing the suicide of a poor girl. He used the exact terms that a DMK spokesperson would use in TV debates calling NEET and other exams as ‘Manu Needhi’ (Laws of Manu) and even went to the extent of derogating the courts for their stance. The actor also opposed the New Education Policy (NEP) saying that it tried to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states and that the policy as a whole is anti-poor.
Not just him, his brother Karthi who runs the Uzhavan Foundation too has also been radiating ignorance in all glory whenever he gets the opportunity. He had issued statements against the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 and even the farmer empowerment laws. In another subtle yet insinuating propaganda against Prime Minister Modi, Karthi in his utter flop movie Thambi (2019) took a veiled jibe at the former’s life as a tea seller.
But both the woke brothers maintained stoic silence when the AIADMK-BJP government at the State and Centre found solutions to several of Tamil Nadu’s problems. Suriya has kept his mouth shut over record number of underprivileged government school students joining medical seats through the 7.5% internal quota brought by the erstwhile AIADMK government led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Karthi who runs a foundation for farmers never bothered to congratulate the Central and State government over the long standing Cauvery dispute getting resolved.
Despite being from the same community, Suriya and his family did not wish well for Palaniswami despite the latter solving many of the pressing issues of Tamil Nadu, be it the Cauvery issue or NEET. But post the victory of DMK in the 2021 Assembly elections, Suriya has been all praises for MK Stalin right from his congratulatory note on taking over as CM to the recent Jai Bhim episode. ‘Why?’, one may wonder.
This is where political observers suspect a larger ploy at play with Suriya being used as a pawn of the DMK in its political game.
Project ‘Udhaya Suriya’
Political observers who follow Tamil Nadu politics can vouch that the DMK is a party that is both anti-Hindu and anti-Dalit. The DMK has been able to consolidate the religious minority votes in the state through appeasement and by slandering Hindus and Hindu religion. But with a rising Hindu consciousness in the state, the DMK is desperately trying to break from its anti-Hindu image. That is why one can see the DMK-friendly media covering Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Minister P.K. Sekar Babu extensively.
On the other hand, the DMK is also trying to shed its anti-Dalit image by employing various theatrics. The recent episode of a Narikurava woman alleging that she was denied Annadanam at a temple, then sharing a meal with the HR&CE Minister, which finally culminated in CM Stalin’s visit to her home followed by announcement of welfare schemes for the community shows that the DMK is yet to come out of election campaign mode. Those aware of how political rhetoric works may see through the drama but to the commoner, this would seem like a revolutionary step taken by MK Stalin. The AIADMK or the BJP definitely can take a lesson or two from the DMK on rhetoric politics.
At the outset it may seem that the DMK is a friend of the downtrodden and oppressed but in reality, their hatred for Dalits equals if not trumps their hatred for Brahmins. It is to cover up their anti-Dalit history that these dramas are enacted.
But it isn’t just that. The DMK wants to expand its footprint in western Tamil Nadu where it has been weak. Now, this is where Suriya fits in the DMK’s scheme of things.
The caste equation between Vanniyars who are concentrated in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu, and the Kongu Vellala Gounders concentrated in the western part of the state, was one of the major factors for the AIADMK alliance to sweep these regions. In fact, the DMK was wiped out in all 10 constituencies of Coimbatore. The caste-cum-political alliance benefitted the AIADMK alliance in the 2021 Assembly polls that helped them bag 18 out of 24 Assembly segments in North-West Tamil Nadu which comprises of 4 Lok Sabha seats of Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, and Kallakurichi.
In areas closer to Erode and Namakkal, the alliance between Arunthathiyars (one of the most downtrodden even within the Scheduled Caste community) and the Gounders helped them clinch sizeable number of votes. If this alliance were to continue for the 2024 Assembly Elections, this region will once again overwhelmingly vote for the NDA alliance.
This caste-cum-political equation is what the DMK is trying to split by pitting the Vanniyars against Dalits and Gounders through a Gounder pawn named Suriya. The DMK will try to eat into the AIADMK’s Gounder votes while simultaneously consolidating other non-Brahmin landed castes like Mudaliars, Chettiars, Naidus, etc. This division between Vanniyars – Gounders – Arunthathiyars will result in a political field that will benefit the DMK. Atleast, that is what the DMK’s game plan seems to look like on paper.
Hence, it is in this light that one is compelled to view the mischievous distortions in the movie Jai Bhim which has spread canards against Vanniyars. It is therefore important for anti-DMK parties to exercise caution while reacting to this issue.
Suriya’s politics became evident in Soorarai Pottru itself which was again a distortion of the story of Air Deccan’s G.R. Gopinath who is a Brahmin and a capitalist. In the movie, he is shown as a follower of anti-Hindu bigot ‘Periyar’ E.V. Ramasamy Naicker and a ‘socialist’ capitalist (God knows what that means!).
The film Jai Bhim is dashed with basic tenets of the DMK all over – unwarranted Brahmin bashing, instigating violence against Hindi speakers and caste politics showing Vanniyars in negative light.
Suriya and director T.J. Gnanavel have denied allegations of maligning Vanniyars saying that the placement of the calendar with Agni motif (sacred symbol of Vanniyars) was just incidental in the course of taking creative liberty. But there are umpteen references in the movie that proves beyond doubt that the makers of the movie have deliberately used props to portray Vanniyars as villains.
His audacious reply to PMK leader Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss letter only shows that he has the full backing of the ruling DMK.
His next film with Sun Pictures titled ‘Edharkkum Thunindhavan’ which is said to reportedly based on the Pollachi sexual harassment case only makes it all the more apparent.
What Suriya has made clear through all these moves is that he is not just actor Suriya anymore but has transformed into ‘Udhaya Suriya’.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
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