{"id":2671,"date":"2016-06-20T03:43:25","date_gmt":"2016-06-19T22:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/13.201.39.237\/?p=2671"},"modified":"2016-06-20T03:43:25","modified_gmt":"2016-06-19T22:13:25","slug":"why-is-karnataka-upset-over-the-release-of-rajinikanths-kaala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/13.207.105.184\/?p=2671","title":{"rendered":"Why is Karnataka Upset Over the Release of Rajinikanth\u2019s Kaala?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I<\/span><\/p><\/div>

t\u2019s been a busy couple of months for <\/span>Karnataka<\/span><\/a>, one of our top five favourite southern states. First, the mid-May legislative assembly election drama shook the nation, and even took its toll on the unflappable Amit Shah. HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal went from kingmaker to king, as he became the chief minister of the state after forging a post-poll alliance with the Congress.<\/span>\n\nBut now, barely two weeks into his tenure and less than two days after he formed his cabinet, CM Kumaraswamy faced his first test. Upset over Rajinikanth\u2019s comment over the <\/span>Cauvery dispute<\/span><\/a>, pro-Kannada groups along with the good people of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce objected to the release of superstar Rajinikanth\u2019s latest film, <\/span>Kaala<\/span><\/i><\/a>. Kumaraswamy, himself a former film producer, <\/span>joined<\/span><\/a> the anti-<\/span>Kaala <\/span><\/i>brigade and said the film should not be released in the state \u201cin the present situation\u201d.<\/span>\n\nDoesn\u2019t all of south India love the Tollywood action hero, who was born in Karnataka? Well, not quite. <\/span>\n\nRajinikanth drew Kumaraswamy\u2019s ire when he <\/span>backed<\/span><\/a> fellow Tamil film star and Makkal Needhi Maiam chief <\/span>Kamal Haasan\u2019s<\/span><\/a> statements about the Cauvery dispute. The Cauvery river runs between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and has been a sore spot between the two states for over a century, with Kannadigas claiming that they don\u2019t get their fair share of water because of the colonial-era agreements that favoured the Madras Presidency. In May, the <\/span>Supreme Court<\/span><\/a> asked Karnataka to release at least 2 tmc of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and warned it of \u201cserious consequences\u201d if it failed to oblige. <\/span>\n\nHaasan, whose foray into politics came just months ago, suggested that a <\/span>meeting<\/span><\/a> with Kumaraswamy to discuss the Cauvery dispute might bring about a solution, and on June 5, just two days before the <\/span>Kaala<\/span><\/i> release, Rajinikanth voiced his support for Haasan. However, the <\/span>backlash<\/span><\/a> was swift, with some, including the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers Association, pointing out that the Cauvery Management Authority has already been set up in response to a Supreme Court ruling on the dispute. <\/span>\n\nThis isn\u2019t the first time Rajinikanth has weighed in on the Cauvery issue. He had previously advised PM Modi to <\/span>abide by<\/span><\/a> the SC ruling, after Karnataka protested that they still did not have enough water. He also <\/span>called for<\/span><\/a> the IPL not to hold any matches in Chennai, saying that playing cricket for entertainment purposes when farmers were deprived of water was \u201can embarrassment\u201d, and encouraging IPL fans to wear black armbands in protest.<\/span>\n\nMaybe Rajini should have been prepared for a backlash of his own. His politicisation of the IPL led to a severe takedown of his <\/span>extravagant music launch party<\/span><\/a> for <\/span>Kaala<\/span><\/i> \u2013 in the thick of the Thoothukudi protests \u2013 with many taking to <\/span>Twitter<\/span><\/a> to highlight the actor\u2019s hypocrisy. <\/span>\n\nAs if the Cauvery controversy weren\u2019t enough, <\/span>Kaala<\/span><\/i> has also been faced with usual showbiz squabbles, including accusations of political incitement and <\/span>plagiarism<\/span><\/a>. The story revolves around a Tamil slumlord in Dharavi who fights for the rights of his tenants against corrupt netas, and the <\/span>soundtrack<\/span><\/a> has also drawn criticism for promotion of violence. <\/span>\n\n

Upset over Rajinikanth\u2019s comment over the Cauvery dispute, pro-Kannada groups along with the good people of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce objected to the release of superstar Rajinikanth\u2019s latest film, Kaala.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\nOn Wednesday, the Supreme Court <\/span>refused<\/span><\/a> to stay the release of <\/span>Kaala, <\/span><\/i>saying that everyone was \u201canxiously waiting\u201d for it. Despite the court order, distributors in Karnataka decided not to screen the film, fearing violence. But fans gathered outside theatres demanding the release will have to wait yet another day.<\/span> Kaala<\/span><\/i> will release in 250 theatres across Karnataka on Friday, <\/span>reports<\/span><\/a> the New Indian Express. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\n\nIt\u2019s not going to be the kind of mammoth event that Rajinikanth movies usually are, but how much will that matter for a film that has already made \u20b9230 cr? The real impact will no doubt be on Rajinikanth\u2019s budding political career.<\/span>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No first day first show for Rajinikanth fans in Karnataka. Upset over the superstar\u2019s comments on the Cauvery dispute, pro-Kannada activists have called for a ban on Kaala. Distributors decided to play it safe and not release the film in theatres.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":2672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[5411,5393,5412,4505,5413,33,5395,951,962,5414],"class_list":["post-2671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pop-culture","tag-cauvery-dispute","tag-kaala","tag-kamal-haasan","tag-karnataka","tag-kumarswamy","tag-politics","tag-rajinikanth","tag-supreme-court","tag-tamil-nadu","tag-tollywood"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy is Karnataka Upset Over the Release of Rajinikanth\u2019s Kaala?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"No first day first show for Rajinikanth fans in Karnataka. Upset over the superstar\u2019s comments on the Cauvery dispute, pro-Kannada activists have called for a ban on Kaala. 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