Will Katappa’s remarks prove costly for Baahubali-The Conclusion?

Social activists threaten protests outside theatres if actor does not apologise for alleged ‘inflammatory’ remarks

April 11, 2017 10:48 pm | Updated 10:48 pm IST

Actor Sathyaraj is accused of making derogatory remarks during the recent unrest in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over sharing Cauvery water.

Actor Sathyaraj is accused of making derogatory remarks during the recent unrest in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over sharing Cauvery water.

It appears that release of the much-awaited sequel to Baahubali - The Beginning , directed by S.S. Rajamouli, is likely to face problem in Karnataka because of the alleged ‘inflammatory’ remarks made by actor Sathyaraj during the Cauvery agitation a few years ago.

Mr. Sathyaraj essays the important role of Katappa, a warrior slave who is loyal to the king, in the historical movie.

A few days ago, some people opposed the re-release of Baahubali-The Beginning in Market City Mall in Mahadevapura. They splashed black ink on the face of the manager of the theatre.

On Monday, Kannada Okkuta, an umbrella body of Kannada organisations, cautioned against screening Baahubali - The Conclusion , which is slated for release on April 28 ‘until Sathyaraj apologises personally to Kannadigas for the unsavoury comment’.

Former MLA Vatal Nagaraj took serious exception to the alleged ‘derogatory’ remarks made by Sathyaraj at a rally in Tamil Nadu. At the same time, he insisted that the organisations are not against the film, but only the actor.

Activists have threatened to protest in front of every theatre where the film would be screened.

Sa. Ra. Govindu, President, Akhila Karnataka Dr. Rajkumar Fans’ Association, urged Mr. Sathyaraj to visit Bengaluru and apologise for his remark. "Otherwise, the actor will be responsible for the inconvenience caused during the release," he said.

When The Hindu contacted Lahari Velu of Lahari Recording Company, which bought the audio rights of the film, he said, “The producers and director of the film are aware of the development. They have to take the final call on the sensitive issue.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.