New Delhi: Tamil films are being screened at Kashi Tamil Sangam which has been going on for the last one month in Uttar Pradesh. Vijay Sethupathi starrer ‘Mamanithan’ was screened yesterday.
Kashi Tamil Sangam in Varanasi started on 17th of last month. Tamil films are being screened here from yesterday for the visitors from Tamil Nadu and local residents to watch. Tamil films are being screened in a temporary theater set up near the grounds of the Banaras Hindu University, where Sangam is held. In that regard, the first film, ‘Mamanithan’ starring Vijay Sethupathi was screened yesterday. For the event, the film’s director and modern literary poet Seenu Ramasamy was invited as the special guest.
Regarding this, director Seenu Ramasamy told ‘Hindu Tamil’ newspaper that: The spirituality of the common people is to pass on virtue to their descendants. That is why everyone never leaves without coming here at least once in his lifetime and bathing in the Ganges and worshiping Kashi Viswanadha. Similarly, the protagonist of my film comes to Kashi and stays without returning to his home. He is working in the monasteries here.
When asked the reason for that, he says that it is not enough to send money to the family by working, but also to send merit. He believes that this blessing will protect his children. To that extent, my picture shows that Kashi is a holy land that is imprinted in the minds of the lay people as well. Mamanithan has been chosen to be screened in Kashi as this is a realistic film.
Rare Literary Texts: It was very touching to see the local people who saw my Mamanithan film but did not know the language but praised me with tears in their eyes.
In the exhibition hall, I was amazed to see the library of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil Studies in Tamil Nadu. He said that Tamil books including many rare literatures have been translated and displayed on its behalf.
Movies including Karnan starring Sivajiganesan tomorrow and Thiruvilayadal the next day will also be screened in this Sangam program.
Trying to pull BJP?
Arya starrer ‘Naan God’, directed by Bala, was also shot in Varanasi in Kashi. Similarly, scenes from Varanasi have been featured in several films including Kamal Haasan’s Mahanadi, Dhanush-starrer Ambikapati in Hindi and Tamil, Banaras in Kannada and Tamil.
However, is it an attempt to lure its hero Vijay Sethupathi to the side of the BJP for screening only Mamanithan in Kashi Tamil Sangh Mathil? The question has also arisen.
Day after tomorrow closing ceremony: The Kashi Tamil Sangam will conclude the day after tomorrow on December 16. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the closing ceremony. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State for Broadcasting L. Murugan and others will be present with him.