Everything he touches seems to turn into gold. A.R. Murugadoss has become a huge name to reckon with in Kollywood as well as in Bollywood. This ace director stands tall with a string of successes in the film world and leading Bollywood superstars are queuing up outside his residence to be directed by him.

This is one side of the story about his commercial success but now the debate and focus is on his work and the issues he used as tools to attain the success.

In fact my best friend, Chennai based Ophthalmologist, Dr.Gayathri, wrote an article on AR.Murugadoss ‘7am Arivu’ and she rightly pointed out the absurd medical points in the screenplay and the mockery of science in the name of scientific fiction.

Her writing provoked me to write more on Murugadoss films and more comprehensive debate on his stupid and idiotic portrayal of certain sensitive issues.

We all still remember his block buster movie, “Ramana”, in which he glorifies the sycophancy of the people of Tamil Nadu in those scenes where many were ready to die for the hero Vijayakanth. Unfortunately we have large number of suicide deaths for the sake of most dishonest and corrupted politicians and film actors.

It is still in our fresh memory two innocent supporters of Vaiko committed suicide when Mr.Karunanidhi expelled him from the party. Next election again he joined hands with DMK but those precious lives did’t return. If Murugadoss feels great and proud about this sycophancy then I insist him to bring back those lost lives now. 'RIGHT NOW.'

Now about the movie “7am Arivu” and his narrow linguistic jingoism. Most irritating and idiotic scene where Shruti Hassan gives lecture on Tamil language. I wonder all PG and PhD students anywhere in India are only from local state? Well let us take this as cinematic liberty but why again whipping up the sentiments of these sensitive and emotional issues with narrow minded thinking?

Now country is faced with a crisis of religious, communal, linguistic and provincial divisionism. Why catalyse linguistic communalism at a time when the most seminal demand of development and futurism is people’s unity and integrity?”

Same way using ‘patriotism’ in most jingoistic way became a regular practice in Indian cinema as success mantra. Sometimes I seriously get confused what is patriotism?

In George Bernard Shaw words: “Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it”.

Perhaps this suits very well for Murugadoss. What happens if he is born in Africa or in Europe? Perhaps he might have cursed all Indian languages.

Well, if I am born in Assam or Nagaland and my language is not as ancient as Tamil then what should I do? Should I lick Murugadoss toes? It is very simple and fundamental thing that we human beings have no choice to select our birth place or race or religion.

The last issue in the movie, ‘7am Arivu’, in the end of the movie, Surya gives some lecture, actually those were director’s views and prolonged speech on our ancient India.

He says invasion of other religions and religious conversions destructed our great history and great ancient books. Well in that case Goutham Buddha and Bodhidharma should be punished because they travelled all over the world to propagate Buddhism. So the first conversion started from them before any other religion invaded into our nation.

Dear Murugadoss to deal any sensitive subject first do sufficient research. Rather projecting this type of imaginative colourful world, to know the real Indian society please read more books of the great Periyar and Dr.Baba Saheb Ambedkar.

The most talented director like ‘Bala’, he hardly gives any chance to find any flaw in his work because he understands well the real Indian society and the great Periyar.

It is no doubt that your film making talents and your brilliant technical skills are amazing and outstanding but I request you to know the real India and the social justice.

Parvez Chowdhary
Managing Editor.