Chevalier Dr. Kamal Haasanin Mayyam - Part 9

[Adox]

Richard Dawkins and late Christopher Hitchens criticizes/criticized the culture they were raised in.

Sam Harris and Dan Dennett criticize American liberal thoughts for shielding Islamic and Judeo-Christian fundamentalism, since they both belong to that country.

Kamal criticizes the flip side of the socio-cultural setup in which he grew up (widows tonsuring heads used to be common in brahmin households - which he refers to often)

Just an FYI - Richard Dawkins recently created a furor by criticizing a particular religion for the lack of Nobel Laureates in them due to their religious fanatism. And it was not Christianity .. Had he known a little more on Hinduism and its religious practices, he would have critic-ed them as well.

KH criticizes Hinduism a lot more and talks very little about other religious practices despite that he has the exposure to all the main religions.

[irir123]

Hinduism is not a race, it is not an ethnic group, it is not a distinctly identifiable community.

Anyone has any right to criticize a set of beliefs that one sees as being dogmatic, irrational or anachronistic.

so does Kamal - furthermore, it is difficult to objectively quantify the level of criticism on an idea or set of ideas or ideology which is what religious ideas are - each one to his/ her own.

btw, when the same Kamal speaks about doing ones duty, and refers to Bhagawad geetha, isnt he saying something positive abt the same hinduism ?

[Arvind Srinivasan]

IMHO it is not worth challenging Kamal's views if all one can do is pose a question as to whether he has the guts to criticise other religions. Rather it is better if we can accept the fact that it is his prerogative to single out the religion he wishes to talk about. It is rather amusing to see people levy criticisms on him over this. I do have a lot of differences of opinion with Kamal's ideologies . But the fact that he wishes to single out hinduism in all his criticisms hardly affect me in my judgement on what he's got to say.

And like irir, I believe this has all got to do with him coming from that community. Another person who was equally castigated for his marked criticisms in films against his own community was his guru, K. Balachander. Arangetram for example caused a huge furor and in subsequent films, KB had to leave the community he talked about in ambiguity. My relatives still call Arangetram as an abomination.

[Adox]

IMHO it is not worth challenging Kamal's views if all one can do is pose a question as to whether he has the guts to criticise other religions. Rather it is better if we can accept the fact that it is his prerogative to single out the religion he wishes to talk about. It is rather amusing to see people levy criticisms on him over this. I do have a lot of differences of opinion with Kamal's ideologies . But the fact that he wishes to single out hinduism in all his criticisms hardly affect me in my judgement on what he's got to say.

And like irir, I believe this has all got to do with him coming from that community. Another person who was equally castigated for his marked criticisms in films against his own community was his guru, K. Balachander. Arangetram for example caused a huge furor and in subsequent films, KB had to leave the community he talked about in ambiguity. My relatives still call Arangetram as an abomination.

I don't see why not Mr. Srinivasan. We could be someone's fan but where we as KH fans stand out is that most of us have a will to criticize him on beliefs that don't fully conform .. Doesn't mean we're out there to get him one way or other. He doesn't have to be perfect and we dont have to hold back because we're his fans.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ I get you. And I agree. But my statement was generic and pertains to any person, Kamal fan or not, having a problem with him targetting just hindus and hinduism.

[irir123]

Another person who was equally castigated for his marked criticisms in films against his own community was his guru, K. Balachander. Arangetram for example caused a huge furor and in subsequent films, KB had to leave the community he talked about in ambiguity. My relatives still call Arangetram as an abomination.

yes I remember ppl chiding cursing KB for Arangetram !

btw, ppl who were offended by Kamal's remarks on meat consumption/butchers job in Avvai Shanmugi, or his singling out one community in many of his films - were equally happy when the 'vaaranam aayiram' sequence in Hey Ram showcased a certain matrimonial culture in all its original glory and were overjoyed when Rangarajan Nambi utters "sungam thavirtha chozhanin peranidam garvam thavirkka chhol - appadi sonnavan indha rangaraja nambi endru sol - mannarai soozhavirukkum pira doshangaludan, brahmahathhi doshamam serum endru sol" and ecstatic when Kamal utters om namo narayanaya! with those sequences all of Kamal's celluloid indulgences- including showing a 'bra'less Rangarajan nambi's wife (Asin) - were conveniently 'forgiven' !

LOL

[avavh3]

irir and arvind, i have referred to only some portion of the interview (14.25 to 14.53) and expressed my anger. how can you drag horrible sati practice here. anyone with sane mind will agree that was an aberration in the society. similarly criticizing mooda nambikkaigal and ill treatment meted out to women (like in arangetram) is also need of the hour. but they are not Hinduism. there is a huge diff. one is the very core of a religion, other is how society blindly followed many religious practices (thee midhi, mann soru, theendamai etc etc which are becoming a thing of past rightfully).

you have rejected ur erstwhile religion, ok thats ur choice. but you cannot be selective atheist. why dont you criticize 'miracles', child abusers, 'sainthood', jihad, talaq practice etc etc. you raise your voice against all if you have guts or SHUTUP.

[irir123]

Kamal has time and again said along the lines of "emmadhamum sammadham illai" - anyway i don't wish to prolong this - each one to his / her own

[avavh3]

ok lets not..

[venkkiram]

UV..

உங்களின் நிலைப்பாட்டை கொஞ்ச காலத்திற்கு முன்பு நானும் இங்கேயே பதிவு செய்திருக்கிறேன். இடைப்பட்ட காலத்தில் கமலின் இந்த நிலைப்பாட்டை புரிந்துகொள்ள முடிந்தது. எல்லாவற்றையும் விவாதம் செய்யும் அளவுக்கு ஒரு ஆரோக்யமான சூழல் உருவாகும் இடத்தில்தான் அவரிடம் அப்படி ஒரு எதிர்பார்ப்பினை வைக்கமுடியும். கமல் போன்ற நட்சத்திரங்களை இதுபோல பேசவிடனும். தனிமனித சுதந்திரத்தின் விளைவாக வெளிப்படும் கருத்துக்கள் அவர் சார்ந்த அடையாளத்தை ( தமிழர், இந்தியர்) பெருமை கொள்ள உதவும். ஒரு ஈவேரா போன்று, ஒரு பாரதி போன்று.. நீங்கள் எதிர்பார்ப்பதுபோல, மற்ற மதங்களில் நடப்பனவற்றை விமர்சிக்க அந்தந்த மதங்களிலிருந்தே குரல்கள் எழும்பும். எழும்பி வருகிறது.

மற்ற மதங்களை அவர் இதுவரை விமர்சிக்கவே இல்லை எனச் சொல்லமுடியாது. கிடைக்கும் சந்தர்ப்பத்தில் அவ்வப்போது செய்துவருகிறார்.

மறுமுறை மறுமுறை வருவதை சொல்லி
மாய்ந்தவர் மாய்ந்தவர் வந்ததே இல்லை
தொடர்வது தொடர்வது நாமே நாளை
வருவது வருவது வேறொரு ஆளே!

Finally..

At the census 2001, out of 1028 million population, little over 827 million (80.5%) have returned themselves as followers of Hindu religion, 138 million (13.4%) as Muslims or the followers of Islam, 24 million (2.3%) as Christians, 19 million (1.9%) as Sikh, 8 million (0.80%) as Buddhists and 4 million (0.4%) are Jain.