Tamil Hindi Telugu Malayalam

Pa Ranjith laughs at a Rajinikanth dig. Fans wonder if the filmmaker really thinks that the Kaala, Kabali star doesn't understand Dalit politics!

PUBLISHED DATE : 12/Apr/2024

Pa Ranjith laughs at a Rajinikanth dig. Fans wonder if the filmmaker really thinks that the Kaala, Kabali star doesn't understand Dalit politics!

Tamil filmmaker Pa. Ranjith was just two films old, when Superstar Rajinikanth collaborated with the director on a big budget action drama titled Kabali (2016). Pa. Ranjith's style of filmmaking is auteuristic, and representation of Dalits is the focal theme across his bodywork. Rajinikanth at his Superstardom did not one, but two movies with Pa. Ranjith [Kaala (2018) being the second], and that too back to back.

 

Rajinikanth was not just the first major motion picture movie star to team up with Pa. Ranjith, but to date remains only one of the two non-Dalit A-listers, to work with the director. Suffice to say, Rajinikanth's team up with Pa. Ranjith helped paved the way for a larger audience for 'Dalit Cinema'. 

 

It is another topic altogether that those who felt represented through the Rajinikanth-Pa. Ranjith movies, have also often had qualms about Rajinikanth's 'Spiritual Politics'; they believe it is the complete opposite of 'Dalit politics'. An example of the same was recently witnessed during a 'Dalit Cinema' discussion panel, which had director Pa. Ranjith as one of the speakers. 

 

Dr. Biju from the Malayalam cine industry, while commenting on why Malayalam cinema hasn't seen as much growth in 'Dalit Cinema', as the Tamil movie industry said, "The most important one main difference is that in Tamil, they (Dalit representation/politics) sit in the mainstream itself. So it (Dalit cinema) is going beyond (just Dalit) people. Many people are coming to watch a mainstream film, and this politics is spreading all over Tamil Nadu. It has a huge release, it has huge stars...Ranjith brother actually spoke Dalit politics through Rajinikanth." 

 

Dr. Biju, a filmmaker in Mollywood also quickly shaded Rajinikanth by adding, "I don't know (if) he (Rajinikanth) understands (Dalit Politics) or not, but he (Pa Ranjith) put the word through his (Rajinikanth's) mouth. It's a very important thing." The audience of this Dalit Cinema panel erupts into a loud laughter at this Rajinikanth-shade, and director Pa. Ranjith joins them too. More importantly, Dr. Biju also accepts here that Kerala does not have a mainstream actor or movie that addresses the Dalit issue through Malayalam cinema.  

 

As the video (timestamp 51: 33) clip slowly made its way into social media, fans of Rajinikanth wondered out loud if Pa. Ranjith really believes that a man of Rajinikanth's stature, an actor with 49 years of cinema experience in him, a celebrity who actively sought out Pa. Ranjith to collaborate, doesn't understand Dalit Politics or Cinema.  

 

User Comments