‘If we miss, our identities will be taken from us’ – Vetrimaaran says Tamil cinema must be political
Vetrimaaran with Thirumavalavan.
National Award-winning film-maker Vetrimaaran called on the Tamil film industry to remain political and “connected”, as he slammed attempts to distort the secular nature of Tamil Nadu.
Speaking at the 60th birthday celebrations of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, the celebrated film director said “constantly our identities are being taken away from us”.
He spoke of “dressing Thiruvalluvar’s image in saffron or depicting Raja Raja Cholan as a Hindu king”, as examples of how Hindu nationalist forces are attempting to appropriate the Tamil identity and the need to push back against it.
Director Vetrimaaran speech
The director was speaking at the 60th birthday celebrations of MP and VCK leader, Thol Thirumavalavan. In his speech, Vetrimaaran highlighted the need for politics in cinema. #Vetrimaaran #TamilCinema #RajaRajaCholan pic.twitter.com/CDXJvn1S9Y
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) October 3, 2022
“Art is for people,” he said. “Art is to represent people.”
“Art is inherently political… It is very important to talk about politics through cinema.”
“Yes aesthetic beauty is important. But no art gets complete when it is not connected to the people… If we miss doing it, our identities will be taken from us.”
“Tamil Nadu is still secular,” he continued, adding that it “has the maturity to resist the influence of external factors”.
His comments have found a wide range of support across Tamil Nadu, with actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan stating the term “Hindu religion” did not exist during the reign of Raja Raja Cholan.
However, figures linked to the Bharatya Janata Party (BJP), including actress Khusboo, have attacked Vetrimaaran for his remarks.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
