Zee Tamil has come under fire for a controversial enactment in one of its programmes that allegedly mocked the sacred rituals of Tulunad’s Daivaradhane, a traditional form of spirit worship practised by the Tulu community. The portrayal was criticized as a blatant disrespect to the ancient and deeply revered cultural practices of the Tulu people.
The outrage began after clips of the performance surfaced online, prompting an immediate backlash from the Hindu community. They accused Zee Tamil of reducing their sacred Daivaradhane rituals to a theatrical act, terming it a mockery of their belief system. Devotees felt that stage enactments of such sacred rituals should not be allowed, as they trivialize and disrespect ancient practices.
Tulunad Daivaradhane mocking entered to an uncontrollable level.@ZeeTamil channel allowed to perform this sacred belief by making all the possible mockery with costume, talwar etc.
Pls stop disrespecting our beliefs. Will you do the same for any Tamil culture? @shetty_rishab pic.twitter.com/9ryhncS37s
— Vije (@vijeshetty) December 9, 2024
Zee Tamil Deletes Video Amid Backlash
Following the widespread criticism, Zee Tamil took down the controversial video from its Instagram account. However, the channel has yet to issue an official apology or explanation for the enactment. Observers noted that while the video was removed, there has been no clarity on whether the programme will still be aired on television.
The deletion of the video was seen as a partial victory for the community’s campaign to protect and preserve their rituals.
Here is the first step of success for the massive outrage on this by all of us.@ZeeTamil has officially removed the video from Insta & they reported copyright on my last post.
However, they haven't issued any apology or statement on this till now.A big Thank you to everyone… https://t.co/XTjfZHXhZY pic.twitter.com/vSPbHBJPBU
— Vije (@vijeshetty) December 10, 2024
The Tulu community has vowed to continue their efforts to raise awareness about Daivaradhane and to prevent its misuse in popular media. The lack of an apology from Zee Tamil has left the community dissatisfied. Many have questioned whether the channel would have allowed such a portrayal of other cultural rituals, urging greater sensitivity and accountability from media outlets.
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