I refer to the above article by one, Joseph David, who claims that Rajni is in his top 10 preferred Tamil actors. I take great exception to what he had to say not just insinuations against Rajni himself but more importantly his fans who turn up to welcome him at the Chennai airport and those who responded to him directly. I wish to speak on behalf of Rajini 's fans. While those who used bad language to respond to above writer's original article is to be condoned, it cannot be denied that Joseph David did not see the sensitivities nor the logic in his arguments in the first place. This I will explain later. However doing another wrong (using bad language) to counter the first wrong intended or otherwise, does not make things right.
Having said that, let me say right from the start that I sincerely doubt Joseph David is at all a Rajini fan. Let me clarify:
1. Firstly, Joseph David says that it is wrong for actor mentors like Rajini not to condone celebrations for his return to Chennai by his fans while 'Bombay burned'.
Now this statement cannot be a genuine statement. It appears ill intended. The Bombay blast happened I believe early afternoon on 13/7/11 by which time Rajini and his family were in the S’pore airport about to board the plane and therefore none in their company would have known about what was happening in Bombay then. Rajini fans from all over Tamilnadu were already well on the way to Chennai city airport by then. How would it be possible for anyone to cancel such arrangements? Rajini is no ordinary person and he was returning not all that completely cured and normal I suppose. Joseph David intentionally or ignorantly said things that were not right, giving a perception of Rajini as someone not sincere or caring, which is a gross representation of facts.
2. Secondly, when this news of Bombay bomb blasts reached Chennai did anyone else react in a way that Joseph David says they should have? Did they all cancel their reappointments in memory of 'Bombay that was burning'? Anyone like for example his favorite actor maybe.
3. Thirdly, Joseph David in the above rebuttal article says that Rajini acted far better in Kuselan than in say Sivaji or Enthiran , and yet Kuselan failed in the box office. This statement reveals that this guy was all together ignorant. Rajini played a guest role in Kuselan and there was not much of a character for him to play in it and the only scene that was of mention was the last speech to a school congregation that was touching. His role in that film was less than 45 mins. Rajini was super in his roles for both Sivaji and Enthiran. For Joseph to conclude what he said must only mean that he had not seen both these two latter or all the 3 movies. His conclusions in his second article are a gross misrepresentation of the facts. He can't be a genuine Rajini fan, more likely someone else fan, trying to fan public opinion against Rajini and obviously thought that his clever use of a misfortune event in Bombay to achieve his objective was opportune enough.
4. We are talking about Rajini's Tamilnadu fans wanting to see their idol , someone who was rumored just 5 weeks earlier of having passed away. These people might not even have heard of Bombay blast when on their way to Chennai airport from all over Tamilnadu. Even if they were to have felt the way that this Joseph tries to justify, how indeed does Joseph expect them to do so?
Well, we know thousands of innocent Sri Lankan Tamil men, women and children were shot, some behind their backs and buried well after the Tigers were wiped out altogether. We have seen it in documentaries in Australia, UK, USA etc through their overseas broadcasts. But none of it were shown or even commented on, not by anyone in the Indian Govt, not anyone from North India or for that matter outside of Tamilnadu, although Tamilnadu politicians and NGOs had reported and discussed that issue for quite some time immediately after the killings or ethnic cleansing as I call it. Where were those actors or VVIPs who are supposed to be role models outside of Tamilnadu when these ethnic cleansing was going on ? Did they do what Joseph says Rajini should have done?
In summary, suffice to say that Joseph David was indeed not a genuine critic but a slayer of Rajini's reputation which is what angered Rajini's fans. The latter are not necessarily well versed in affairs outside of Tamilnadu. It is silly of Joseph to appear genuine critic of public mentor figures when it appears that he had other hidden objectives.
In conclusion, I can say that I am not a fan of Rajini although I see his movies and know him to be a philanthropist, some one who does not publicize his charity works, someone who does not get used as a ladder by both sides of political divide in Tamilnadu, and the only actor in India who compensates theatre owners who suffered losses in showing his movies, produced by him or others. Examples are Baba and Kuselan. Has any other actor in Tamilnadu or else where have that record? Rajini is the idol that he is to most Tamilians and others in AP, Karnataka, Kerala, even in North India because of the simplicity of this man, no ego, or aspirations for positions and titles. The poets who write the lyrics for his movies know that and actually reflect it in his movies' songs.
No matter how many Joseph Davids there are wanting to create misrepresentations to achieve a twisted perception of Rajini, they will fail miserably. Rajini is above all LIES that some try to perpetuate.
Leo Anthony
leo_philo@yahoo.com
