Prior to its release, the makers of Tamil actor Vijay’s “Mersal” would have never imagined that the film would get widespread publicity from unexpected quarters (“Opposition stands with Mersal ”, October 22). The irony is that the flurry of comments are from those who have not seen the film and are airing their views just on hearsay. Controversial comments always die down in the course of time. There is no dearth of films depicting politicians, the police and bureaucrats in a bad light. Politicians indulging in arson, looting and murder and policemen and bureaucrats accepting bribes are scenes that have featured in a number of films. The protest by the BJP against some of the dialogues in the film is neither warranted nor tenable. As far as the medical field is concerned, its unethical practices have been brought out in the open time and again by none other the members of the medical fraternity themselves. The beauty of democracy hinges not just on freedom of expression but also the grace in which even expressions not conducive to one’s liking are received.
V. Subramanian,
Chennai
The critics of the film are advised to watch the court scene in the old Tamil film, “Parasakthi”, and the scathing attack on the then ruling Congress governments at the State and the Centre. There was no demand for removal of any scene from this film whose dialogue was written by the Opposition DMK leader, M. Karunanidhi, and specifically aimed at the government. Therefore, any attack on the government in a democracy like India should not be suppressed by threat or by force. Better governance lies in facing them.
J. Eden Alexander,
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
The page 1 article on the “Mersal” controversy, thereby giving the film and local politicians unnecessary publicity, and reports in the inside pages — on the closure still of some multiplex theatres in Chennai and on how Disha Patani is to act in “Sangamithra”, replacing Shruti Hasan — show that The Hindu has sunk to low levels. That a newsworthy daily has to publish such trivia and content instead of the real ‘news’ that it is noted for is painful.
Haricharan Srinivasan,
Chennai
