Crack the whip on obscene performers, say artistes

Seek action against a group which staged obscene dance programme

Tamil Nadu Thiraipada Medai Natana Kalaingnargal Nala Sangam (Tamil Nadu Film songs Dance Artistes’ Welfare Association) has appealed to the Director General of Police to instruct the police in the districts to take stern action against those who staged obscene dance programmes during temple festivals and brought disrepute to the association.

After presenting petition to Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan here on Friday, seeking action against a ‘cultural group’ which staged an obscene dance programme at a temple festival in Pasumpon on Thursday night, S. Ajith Raja, State president of the association, said they faced threat to their livelihood as few staged obscene programmes to make quick money.

Acting on their representation, the SP ordered the arrest of a woman artiste from ‘Priyalaya Cultural Group,’ who staged an obscene dance performance at Pasumpon.

The local police had already registered a case against the group and the organisers based on a complaint lodged by the Kamudhi Sub Inspector of Police.

Mr. Raja, who was accompanied by a group of artistes, who were members of the association from Coimbatore and Erode, said even before the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court laid down 23 conditions for staging ‘Aadalum Paadalum’ during temple festivals, the association formulated its own regulations to maintain decency in the shows.

He said about two lakh artistes, including a sizeable number of women, were members of the association and they eked out a living by staging dance performances during temple festivals throughout the State. They danced to film songs besides appearing on stage as leading film stars in disguise. A 30-member troupe collected about Rs. 30,000 for a four- hour show.

Most of the artistes would be busy for six to nine months in a year, S.P. Boopathy, general secretary of the association from Erode, said. As the association members abided by rules, some fringe groups brought disrepute to the profession by staging obscene ‘record dances,’ he said.

Women members were leaving the profession and even men discreetly staged the performance for the stigma attached to it, Kalaivani, an artiste, said.

Some of the artistes were in the profession for generations but the present generation wanted to keep their children away from it.

“We are educating our children so that they could pursue some other profession,” she said.