Sunday, 07th September 2014
BY SULOCHANA RAMIAH MOHAN
In Tamil Nadu, anything that is pro Sri Lankan stirs up the four major student bodies –Maatram MaanavarIlaiyor Iyakkam, Free Tamil Eelam Students Organization, Tamil Youth and Students Association and Progressive Students Front.
Kaththi and Pulipaarvai
and Lanka links
According to Indian media, Kaththi is running into a major storm because its producer Lyca Productions is alleged to have business links with a political family of Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Pulipaarvai is alleged to be an attempt to project LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran's son, Balachandran Prabhakaran, as a child soldier.
Calling Kaththi to be banned, due to its Sri Lankan connection, 65 organizations with Tamil nationalist sympathies, including parties such as the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Tamilar Vaazhvurimai Katchi (TVK), have come together to oppose the release of Pulipaarvai too.
Kaththi which is slated to be released in October during Deepavali is in hot water now without direction over who would be the producer.
On Vijay-starrer Kaththi funded by Lyca Productions, the protesters call for a 'change' of the producers. Until its close ties with a political family in Sri Lanka is severed the film will never be 'allowed' to screen in Tamil Nadu, the 65 organizations have threatened. They have warned that they will hold massive protests if their demands are not met.
Calling for a ban
P. K. Prabhakaran, a leading youth activist of Chennai told Ceylon Today that Kaththi is likely to be released and actor Vijay and director Murugadoss are ready to change the producer, however Lyca Production's CEO Subaskaran is threatening them pointing at the contract they signed.
Co-producer of Kaththi, K. Karunamoorthy of Ayngaran International of world repute, according to only kollywood.com, has denied reports that Lyca Productions promoter and Chairman of Lyca Mobiles Subaskaran Allirajah has business links with a Sri Lankan VIP family.
Subhaskaran is still not convinced about handing over the film to another, the websites reports further.
"Lyca still believes that they can convince the Tamil groups and is hoping to release the film as planned under their banner. The recent first-look posters, which emerged all of a sudden, suggest that the project is still in Lyca's hands," reports the website.
Balachandran : a child solider?
TVK Chief, Vel Murugan, told The Hindu recently that Pulipaarvai, being produced by Vendhar movies, showed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and its slain leader V. Prabhakaran in a 'bad light'.
According to him, the movie portrayed Balachandran — the younger son of Prabhakaran - as a child soldier.
"There are posters of Balachandran in LTTE uniform. This is a complete distortion of facts. This also supports the charge of Sri Lanka that the LTTE used child soldiers. Secondly, there are scenes in the movie where the character of Prabhakaran allegedly tells another that the civil war was fought for his self pride. This, too, is unacceptable," Vel Murugan had said.
The TN student activists called on Pulipaarvai director Pravin Gandhi to remove the scenes that showcase Prabhakaran's son as a child solider. A discussion is taking place about how to 'retake' the movie 'without portraying Balanchandran as a child solder.
Controversial film producer Seeman too obliged the student activists and the Tamil media that he would 'see' into 'retaking' of the shots where Balachandran has been portrayed as a child solider in Tiger uniform. He in a recent interview said that he will never let Tamil sentiments 'be harmed' in any movies.
However, Pravin Gandhi has repeatedly said that he portrayed him in 'retrospect' of the LTTE. These two controversial films which are planned to be released next month will not hit the film halls till all those 'negative lines' are removed, the student movements warn.
Retake Pulipaarvai plea
A press conference to discuss Kaththi and Pulipaarvai under the banner "proxy investments of Sri Lanka government, twisting the truth of Eelam history, attack on student protesters" was held at the Chennai Press Club organized by Vel Murugan and attracted many youths as well as popular figures such as Nedumaran, director Pugalendi, and poet Pulamaipiththan. They held a discussion on every detail of the controversial movies that have come to light.
Maattram MaanavarIlaiyor Iyakkam activist, N. Pradeep Kumar, said that the students are willing to reconsider their position on Kaththi, only if Lyca Productions withdraws itself from being the producer. He added that they will allow the release of Pulipaarvai if the director 'retakes' the movie scenes that include Balanchandran as a child soldier.
"It is an attempt to portray Balachandran as a combatant killed in action," said N. Pradeep Kumar.
The student collectives have also warned that any political leader or party that speaks in support of Kaththi or Pulipaarvai will face the heat from the student community.
The Business Standard reported that with the ongoing protests including the attack on actor Vijay's residence, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court last month reserved orders on a petition seeking a direction to the Director General of Police (DGP) to initiate action against the producers of the two Tamil films and ban them on the ground that they would endanger public order.
Justice Kirubakaran, who heard the arguments reserved orders on the writ plea, it reported.
The petitioner, V.Ramesh, an advocate, said that the films--Kaththi and Pulipaarvai--being produced by LYCA Productions, Iyngaran International and Vendhar Movies, respectively, should be banned in the state and all over the subcontinent as Tamils had been portrayed "as if they were anti-nationals and terrorists."
He alleged that Kaththi was filled with anti-Tamil speeches and overtures which hurt the sentiments and feelings of Tamils.
Similarly, Pulipaarvai dealt with the life of Balachandran Prabhakaran, son of LTTE leader Prabhakaran, he said and alleged that it showed him in a poor light.
The petitioner had further said that he had complained to the DGP seeking action against those concerned with the films and asked them to be banned as they could create a law and order problem in the State. But as the police had not acted on the complaint, Court should issue a direction to take action against those who produced the films and ban them from being filmed.
Any film with even the slightest hint of anti-Lankan Tamil sentiments has run into rough weather in Tamil Nadu. Movies such as Inam (Race), Madras Café and With You without You were not allowed to be screened in the State in the recent past.
In an attempt to clear the air, director of Kaththi, A.R. Murugadoss tweeted on 30 July that he, along with Karunamoorthy of Ayngaran International, had met pro-Eelam leaders — P. Nedumaran, director Seeman and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi's (VCK) Thol. Thirumavalavan, to explain their position. However, despite clarifications, a collective of four student bodies had called for a ban of the film, alleging that it promoted the economic and political interests of Sri Lanka.
Last month, directors Seeman and Vikraman showed support for the film stating that the makers are Tamil people and dismissed all the baseless rumours regarding Lyca. It was reported that Murugadoss spoke on behalf of Seeman to get this project finalized from Lyca productions.
"The students are willing to reconsider their position on Kaththi according to a representative, if Lyca Productions formally withdrew as producer. However, they weren't prepared to make any concessions for Pulipaarvai.
"The trailer and the posters of Pulipaarvai clearly show that it is an attempt to depict Balachandran as a rebel when he was just an innocent kid who was executed. It is an attempt to portray him as a combatant killed in action," said N. Pradeep Kumar.
Lyca controversy reaches
David Cameron
Last November, UK Prime Minister David Cameron was urged to investigate why the Tory Party took over £420,000 from the telecom group Lyca Mobiles, which has close links to a VIP family in Sri Lanka.
Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop told the Huffington Post, UK: "The Prime Minister knows that his party has received over £420k from a company closely associated with the Sri Lankan regime. He was obviously so concerned that his own MPs were recently prevented from visiting there."
The MP, who has written directly to the Prime Minister, added: "So in the interests of transparency I want to know if the Prime Minister is going to investigate why his party has received over £420k from this company so closely associated with the Sri Lankan Government."
Telecom giant Lyca Mobiles has donated £426,292 to the Tories since 2011 and was the "Gold Sponsors" of the Commonwealth Business Forum, Huffington Post revealed.
Hastings Trading e Serviços, a Portuguese company owned by the Lyca Group, bought a 95% share in a dormant firm registered with the VIP family, the newspaper quoted.
Having heard that Lyca has links with the Sri Lankan Government, EU based Tamil Diaspora showed their rage by stoning and damaging Lyca mobile dealers' shops in the region. There are posters against Lyca group to be seen in many cities in France.
From : http://www.ceylontoday.lk/90-72390-news-detail-lyca-and-lanka-unliked-by-tamil-nadu.html
