Tamil screenwriter and director Arunraja Kamaraj, who is currently recovering from COVID-19, made an emotional appeal to his fans on social media to abide by the mandated COVID-19 safety protocol in order to curb the spread of the virus. Kamaraj and his late wife Sindhuja tested positive for coronavirus earlier in May and were hospitalized. While Kamaraj responded well to the treatment, his wife Sindhuja, unfortunately succumbed to the infection on May 16.
The director attended his wife’s funeral wearing a PPE kit, since he also had COVID-19. In his Facebook post, he mentioned how he felt during the last few moments with his wife. “I saw with my own eyes how my wife’s life was crushed and thrown out of her,” he wrote. Arunraja noted that he realised the gravity of the pandemic after seeing his wife’s condition. He also stated that, despite everyone’s best efforts, it was not possible to save her. “And the virus is still out there, claiming more lives,” his post read.
“The virus doesn’t understand love, poverty, our likes and dislikes. For the virus, we are all the same,” he added. “If we do some self-introspection, we may learn to fight against our common enemy, the virus, together and move towards ending this war,” he further said. Kamaraj also stressed on the importance of letting go of our differences and fighting the coronavirus together.
The director noted that while he was grieving the loss of his wife, he noticed that hating and disliking other people had become our lifestyle. However, he once again emphasised the need for people to not just protect themselves along with their friends and family, but also work together to protect everyone. “If we choose to fight among ourselves, it will only help our common enemy grow stronger,” the post read.
“We will be able to work towards our dreams, goals and aspirations only if we work together to curb the spread of the virus,” Arunraja wrote. Towards the end of the post, he mentioned that we have a lifetime to fight among ourselves, but it is crucial to beat the coronavirus first. He concluded the post by thanking the healthcare and frontline workers who tirelessly work to help patients and save people’s lives.
After the news of Sindhuja’s demise came out, many celebrities from the film fraternity offered their condolences to the family and extended their support.
On the professional front, Arunraja is currently working with Udhayanidhi Stalin for the Kollywood remake of Article 15.