SRK & Kamal Haasan, 'victims' of different strokes
I am not sure how much work Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has these days. Not much I would imagine and judging by the time he spends worrying about Shahrukh Khan's security situation here in India, one would imagine that the interiors of Pakistan are in top order and need no ministering. Malik has pleaded earnestly with the Indian Government to provide security to Khan, like as if Khan is walking around without any security in the first place. Khan can afford ample private security on his own and frankly, why should the Government be wasting precious resources on a Star who is already more than capable of taking care of his own security needs. More importantly, when there are no signs of any immediate threat to the Actor in India, why bother deploying Government resources that are more urgently needed elsewhere?
This interference by Rehman Malik has obviously stemmed from the fact that India's King Khan in a recent interview with a foreign publication, has stated (that he) "sometimes becomes the inadvertent object of political leaders who choose to make me a symbol of all that they think is wrong and unpatriotic about Muslims in India." There have been occasions, he said, when he had been accused of "bearing allegiance to our neighboring nation rather than my own country – even though I am an Indian, whose father fought for India's freedom." Laughable really. King Khan has put his hands (yet again) into his pockets and pulled out a placard that reads. " I am a victim. Help"! And then, a terrorist in the name of Hafiz Saeed, extends his hand of 'friendship' from the other side of the fence and invites Khan to Pakistan if Khan feels jittery in India. So what should Khan be doing at a time like this? If he were a patriotic Indian as he claims to be, he should be telling the Hafizs and the Rehmans to worry primarily about the despicable situation of their own 'frustrated' country and invitations of stay (especially from classified terrorists) are not needed from them. There is little point in crying hoarse over the fact and making the same points over and over again that it is ridiculous for Khan to think he gets treated shabbily here in India. I think Khan knows a lot better than that, he would be a fool or a liar not to. Khan is who he is today not just because of the dint of his own hard work alone, but for the love and adulation that he receives from the masses who have never let religion divide them over their love for their on screen idols. This is a fact and for Khan to suddenly forget this every now and then is surprising. He enjoys playing the role of 'Raj' with selective amnesia; it is also time for 'Raj' to start diffusing his own bombs that he goes around placing here and there with his verbal diarrhea. Khan is a victim of his own stroke and not of any body else's doing.
And then there is Kamal Haasan, a self-proclaimed atheist, whose dream project has been extirpated by the narrowest of minds. It is indeed unfortunate that the multi faceted Actor is a victim of a ridiculous agenda. None of the reviews for the movie Vishwaroopam so far point to the direction that there are scenes in the movie or there are dialogues delivered that would irk a particular religion. The Government in its decision to ban the movie has stepped over the Central Board of Film Certification's approval. If the movie has pictured Al-Qaeda terrorists as radicals, then what is so surprising about it? As if Kamal Hassan has redefined Al-Qaeda behavioral patterns in his own unique and stylish way? So why are members of a particular community creating a drama over the movie and filing petitions for its ban? Bewildering. The High Court has asked Kamal Haasan to resolve the ban issue with the Government directly. Downright ridiculous. Whether it is the DMK or the AIADMK, both parties are equally responsible for punishing the film fraternity in their vendetta politics. Kamal Hassan has rightfully called the hijacking of his movie by the poorly informed and misplaced souls, as " cultural terrorism". He is most certainly right, cultural terrorism is gnawing its way into freedom in all walks of life, you cannot escape its tentacles. Kamal Hassan is a victim of this diabolic stroke.
But, one thing is clear, religious bigotry is not getting us anywhere. We Indians are getting more and more touchy about things we should not, and getting more and more thick skinned over things we ought to be touchy about. Dragging religion into everything is now a favorite pass time.
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tiger-trail/entry/srk-kamal-hassan-victims-of-different-strokes
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