Did you say Rajinikanth can't play Tipu? Clearly the concept of cinema is alien to Hindutva brigade

Since they have been in circulation for aeons, most of the Rajinikanth jokes now inspire yawns. But a new addition, from a senior leader of the BJP, is too hilarious to ignore. A group of Hindutva hardliners led by senior BJP leader L Ganesan has advised Rajinikanth not to play the role of Tipu Sultan in a proposed eponymous biopic. Now, Ganesan may have got away by suggesting to the sun to not shine on the households of infidels. He may have sounded credulous even if he had advised the moon to not take the shape of a crescent because of its religious connotations. We can ignore members of Ganesan’s parivar also for suggesting to us mere mortals what to eat, what to watch, what to wear and which yogic posture to practise for our wellbeing. [caption id=“attachment_2436118” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AFP image.[/caption] But, when somebody summons the audacity and temerity to advise the ruling deity of cineyug — according to Rajini fans, kaliyug ended and cineyug began with the birth of Thalaivaa — it is difficult not to roll on the floor till worried neighbours call up the nearest asylum. Seriously, Mr Ganesan, did you really say, Rajini can’t? According to reports, Ganesan who claims to be a “knower” of history and a friend of Rajinikant (perhaps he meant a fan), doesn’t want the superstar to portray Tipu’s character because it will “glorify foreign invaders who invaded us and our culture.” Ganesan’s other grouse is that Tipu was an aggressor, who committed “maximum atrocities against Hindus.” It is evident that the lunatic fringe has a problem with every Indian ruler who was not a Hindu. All across India, from Rajasthan to Delhi, from Bangalore to Chennai, they are making a pitiable effort to look at history only through the yes of religion. Akbar: Muslim, so not great. Rana Pratap: Hindu, so a great Suryavanshi. Shrine at Ayodhya: Built by Babar, so pull it down. And, now Tipu. Since this is about cinema, it can be argued that the Hindutva brigade is stuck in an age where everything was just in black and white. The concept of cinema, history — just as life — being a fascinating rainbow of contrasting colours is still alien to them. Tipu, for instance, isn’t a monochromatic character shot just in shades of black. Many historians have written about his atrocities against Hindus of Malabar, his desire to convert people to Islam and the determination to convert the Hindu king of Travancore. Some edicts point at his anti-Christian campaigns. “All Mussalmans should unite together, and considering the annihilation of infidels as a sacred duty, labour to the utmost of their power, to accomplish that subject,” according to manuscripts found in Udupi district of Karnataka. But, how do you explain Tipu’s correspondence with the Sringeri Shankaracharya? The Sultan of Mysore wrote a bunch of letters to the Shankaracharya–these are in possession of the mutt– calling him his guru and discussing his own beliefs. In one of them, Tipu conveys his anger and grief at the news of Marathas raiding the Sringeri math. “Hasadbhih kriyate karma rudadbhir-anubhuyate (People do evil deeds with a smile but experience the consequences crying),” he writes in one of them. He later helped in rebuilding the shrine and reinstalling the holy idols that were destroyed in the raid. In another letter, he talks about three beliefs that are the source of his strength. The first being the belief that God is merciful (‘Eeshwara Dayapurnavagide’ in Kannada). The second being the blessings of teachers like the Shankaracharya (‘Nimmantha Gurugala Ashirvada’ in Kannada). The third being the prowess of arms (‘Ayudhabala’ in kannada). And then there is Tipu’s invention and inspiration. In a 1991 homage to the ruler of Mysore, former President APJ Abdul Kalam (the then DRDO chief) called Tipu the father of war rockets. “Rocket technology engulfed me for two decades since my visit to Srirangapatna in 1960. The question continued to haunt me - “How Tipu Sultan would have led to the world’s first war rocket?”’ Like Aurangzeb, the life and times of Tipu Sultan can’t be shoved under the carpet of bigotry. It deserves debates, discussions and a chance to become part of the popular culture for understanding the inherent contradictions and contrasting religious beliefs. Who could be better than Rajinikanth to evoke interest in this controversial ruler? Who could reignite a fierce debate on world’s first rocket man? It is a funny you can’t decide whether to laugh at those advising Rajinikanth for their comic timing or to pity them for their intellectual squalor.