Veteran Producer on Lord Murugan Story

Eversince NTR-Trivikram Srinivas' God of War was announced and the glimpse was released, Tamil Nadu politicians, filmmakers and people of the state expressed anger over the tagline ' “Born in the North”and claimed that Murugan as an indigenous deity of the southern Kurinji (mountainous) region. Scripturally, his birth is traced to the celestial Saravana Poigai lake rather than a northern geographic location.

Some politicians even threatened to protest against the film if the makers donot change the caption. In the midst of all this, veteran producer Keyaar came up with different thoughts.

He said "A film or a book loses its copyright protection after 60 years. Anyone can adapt such works after that period. Lord Murugan has been worshipped for thousands of years, so copyright is certainly not the issue,"

He pointed out "Tamilians adore Lord Murugan as their native deity. There have been six or seven major Tamil films based on him, including Kandhan Karunai and Deivam. These films were huge successes, and their devotional songs continue to be played in temples across Tamil Nadu and elsewhere. They have become an integral part of Tamil culture and devotion,"

He explained "I believe many Tamil viewers were offended by the poster because it appeared to associate Lord Murugan, also known as Subrahmanya Swamy, with North India. For Tamilians, Murugan is intrinsically linked to Tamil culture and Tamil Nadu, and there is ample historical and cultural evidence to support that belief,"

He said "Actors like M.G. Ramachandran and Sivakumar have portrayed Lord Murugan with great reverence. Even in recent years, stars like Dhanush and Suriya made cameo appearances as Lord Murugan in films such as Seedan and Etharkum Thuninthavan, and they were appreciated by audiences,"

Keyaar went on to add . "We have no objection to Telugu stars like JR NTR playing Lord Murugan. We are not parochial. But altering the deity's cultural roots and disconnecting him from Tamil heritage is what concerns people. If filmmakers study the rich legacy of Tamil films made on Lord Murugan from the 1940s onwards and remain faithful to that tradition, they can avoid unnecessary controversies and make an honest film,"

---- Pramod Nandivada