Kamal Haasan's fans from Bengaluru go to Hosur to watch 'Thug Life'
Chennai (PTI): 'Thug Life,' a Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam come back movie after nearly 4 decades hit the screens on Thursday, as several frenzied fans reportedly travelled from Bengaluru to watch the movie at nearby Hosur in Tamil Nadu.
The big ticket gangster movie was accorded a big reception in Tamil Nadu by fans of Haasan and Silambarasan TR who burst firecrackers, cut cakes and danced to choicest tunes on the premises of movie halls. Some hysterical fans popped open beer bottles and poured the beverage on giant images (popularly known as cutout) of their beloved stars.
The craze among fans for the 'First Day First Show,' popularly known as FDFS resurfaced as swarms of fans descended on movie theatres. Several fans of Haasan discussed about Thug Life in social media, gave superb ratings to it and some also compared it with 'Nayakan,' (also a gangster drama) and speculated about box office collections. Mani Ratnam and Haasan are joining hands after Nayakan, which was released in 1987.
In several places, huge images of the stars were decked with flowers and mega size garlands. Reportedly, several fans from Bengaluru city and suburbs went to Hosur, a distance of about 42 km, to watch the movie. Posts in some social media accounts and reportage in some Tamil news television channels claimed that fans gathered in Hosur to watch the flick.
Haasan's recent remark suggesting that Kannada language was born out of Tamil led to a huge controversy and Karnataka leaders and the Film Chamber of the state demanded that the actor withdraw his statement and tender an apology.
However, Haasan declined to apologise and opted against releasing the movie in Karnataka on June 5, when it was released worldwide. According to Haasan's fans, the top rated star has a huge following in Karnataka for over 4 decades.
A fan, in a social media post said 'Maro Charitra' (a K Balachandar film, 1978) was continuously screened for 693 days in Bengaluru and till date it is an 'unbeaten' record.
The Haasan-starrer Thug Life's main cast includes Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Abirami and Naasar and A R Rahman has composed the music.
Raaj Kamal Films International in a social media post said: #ThugLifeRules. In Coimbatore, several fans of Haasan appeared in T-shirts embossed with "Mannippu Ketka Mudiyathu," (Will not apologise) and "We stand with Kamal Haasan," slogans in bright black against milk white background.
The Tamil Nadu government allowed a special screening on Thursday. One show was special and four other shows were usual.
Noted film director Ameer, who watched the movie in Madurai, claimed Haasan did not comment anything wrong about any language or underestimate any language adding the actor only mentioned that Kannada was part of the Dravidian family of languages.
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
