Jallikattu captures Kollywood's imagination as artists captitalise on public mood

From Yuvan Shankar Raja to Santosh Narayanan, jallikattu has become a symbol for Tamil pride.
Jallikattu captures Kollywood's imagination as artists captitalise on public mood
Jallikattu captures Kollywood's imagination as artists captitalise on public mood
Written by:

The ongoing battle to lift the ban on jallikattu has caught the imagination of Kollywood.

So far, actors Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan, Suriya, GV Prakash, Khushbu and directors Ameer and Gowthaman among others have been vocal in their views.

With the protests continuing on ground as well as on social media, Kollywood has been quick to capitalise on the public mood.

GV Prakash released a song titled Kombu vacha singamda, sung by Arunraja Kamaraj of Neruppuda fame.

Watch:

Valorizing the bull and the men participating in the sport, the song asks who is anyone to stop a traditional sport like this. Interestingly, the trailer for GV Prakash's next film, Adangathey came out four days after the song was launched.

Santhosh Narayanan has released a teaser for his music album Thai engal Thamizh Nadey (Mother is our Tamil Nadu).

The visuals show a boy taking in the scenic beauty of Tamil Nadu, iconic structures like the Thiruvalluvar statue and of course, jallikattu. There are no lyrics accompanying the images but the intention is clear.

Watch:

Jallikattu is projected as an intrinsic part of Tamil Nadu and its culture.

Yuvan Shankar Raja released a song Jallikattu from the upcoming film Santhana Devan which is to be directed by Ameer. Starring Arya in the lead, the song praises Tamil culture and embraces the bull as a child. It also glorifies masculinity in the process. Watch:

Supposed to be a historical drama, jallikattu is said to play an important role in the film.

Vettrimaran, who has made critically acclaimed films like Aadukalam and Visaranai is reported to have obtained the rights for Vadivasal, a novel about jallikattu written by Sahitya Akademi award winning writer CS Chellapa. The book was written in 1958.

Vettrimaran is currently busy wrapping up Vada Chennai and it remains to be seen if Vadivasal will become his next project. Aadukalam was about the practice of cock-fighting in Tamil Nadu and the film went on to win six National Awards.

Hiphop Tamizha's Takkaru Takkaru, which came out in June last year, is based on the popular conspiracy theory that the ban on jallikattu is driven by corporate interests.

Watch:

Asking the Tamizhan not to lose their identity because of ignorance, the song presents the case for the sport to continue without intervention by those who don't understand it. Hiphop Tamizha is not new to controversy. His song Cluble mubble was also a plea to save Tamil culture, except then, it was centered around the "loose" morals of "modern" Tamil women.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com