An insecure city, Demi gods in South India

When I left office on wednesday hearing the news of the death of Rajkumar, the first thing that came to my mind was 2001 RECT, when Veerapan had kidnapped the same person and for one week or so no companies from Bangalore came down for placement. As I got off near my house and walked towards the apartment, I realised that I was in for some hard time. All the shops and restaurants near Ramaiah college were shut down. The 2 petrol pumps in that area were closed. People were there on the roads, heading home as if some cylcone was going to hit the city.

Half an hour inside my apartment I realised that I do not have anything to eat. Just a bottle of mineral water was too little for 2 days. A friend was willing to give me Maggi. Then I thought the best thing to do is take a rickshaw and go to my friend's place in Indira Nagar. Atleast he stocks food and I would have some company for the next 2 days, if it gets that bad. So there I was in Indira Nagar after paying twaice the meter charge. Also on the way picked up a family pack of Maggi and some biscuits.

Around 1 AM in the middle of an Arsenal Portsmouth match the sports channel conked off. Some channel surfing made us realise that only the news channels are working. Blame it on the Rajkumar factor. Thank god there is braodband connections in this world.

The TV channels said all the shops closed down due to respect for Dr. Rajkumar (he is basically a third standard passout I guess). The real reason being that people were forced to close down due to the fans pressurising them to do so. There were these youngsters on the bikes, parked in the middle of the road, with Karnataka flags in hand and shouting slogans for Rajkumar. Police was not there to help these merchants open and operate shop. A good percentage of the population are working bachelors and how many of the would have stocked food, god only knows. Shivaji Nagar area, which is a muslim-dominated area in Bangalore functioned without any disturbance, these 2 days it seems.

Now why would a film star command so much respect in this state. After all he had acted in only 200 movies. Prem Nazir has acted in more than 600 movies in Malayalam and when he died, I dont think anything like this ever happened. Lets forget that for a moment as in Malayalam, unlike the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada film history the bigger movie stars do not command any respect in the political circle. Well after all they are just actors and not politicians, who can run a state. Let take some examples

NTR, was the biggest of them all in Andhra Pradesh. He was just like Rajkumar, acted as the ideal man in most of his movies and later on moved to politics and was hugely popular. He was the chief minister and did a lot of good to his people. If he dies and there is public mourning and reactions, I can understand.

MGR in Tamil Nadu, commanded equal respect and his death also led to some paranoia in TN. But he was also the chief minister and did a lot of good for the state and its people. Rajnikant is the next in line for similar treatment. Everyone knows that he has a invisible presence in Tamil Nadu politics and has played an active part in some of the elections, through his movies or through his fan clubs. Another actor who was very famous and well respected was Sivaji Ganesan.

Lets not talk about Mallu movies. They either make sensible movies or porn and are equally accepted. But people know that movies are movies and politics is politics. You maystill show the photo of MGR and win elections in TN, but you cant do that in Kerala. Couple of the film stars who came in through the theatre movements in Kerala invariable support the Communists, like Murali, who fought elections in Allepey.

Now what is Rajkumar's contribution to Kannada. 200 movies and doesnt it stop there at that. He set up one of the best studios in Karnataka, paved the entry of his sons to tha Kannada movie industry. Otherwise what good has he done to the common man, other than acting in movies in which he plays the common man. Well sometimes, people have to be kept in thier place. Rajkumar was also chosen as the most popular person in CNN -IBN poll where he won hands down over, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Narayanmurthy etc etc.

Girish Karnad summed it up nicely in one of the news channels. He said this is the pent up emotions of the average Kannadiga coming out in the streets. The Kannadigas in Bangalore have been given a second class citizen status in their city and they wanted to prove a point to the outsiders that, if they want they can hold the entire city to ransom. Well nothing more to say, other than "Thank god Rajkumar died of a heart attack and not get killed by anyone/anything".