It was the launch of A. R. Rahman’s maiden productions 99 Songs in Chennai. The anchor who was hosting the event welcomed Mr. Rahman in Tamil. Then addressed actor Ehan Bhat in Hindi.
Mr. Rahman got pissed off.
He was visibly taken aback and said “Hindi”? and exit the
stage.
On the way out, he asked the anchor in Tamil “Mudalliye kattene
Tamil pesuveengalanuttu” (I asked you before the event started if you can speak
in Tamil)
The anchor replied in Tamil: Tamil than. Idhu chumma welcome than sir. Kovikaadheenga sir.
((Yes I am Tamil. This is just a welcome
intro sir. Please don’t get angry sir)
My personal opinion is I agree with Rahman.
Before the event started, Rahman asked the anchor can you
speak in Tamil. Also, the person she was
addressing knows English. The anchor
knows Tamil very well. Plus the event
was in Chennai. Therefore, she either
should have addressed in English or Tamil.
She thought would have one-upmanship with Mr. Rahman.
Being a gentleman, Rahman came back to the stage and
participated in the launch.
My question is if there was a Tamil actor being introduced in
Mumbai, will the anchor welcome that Tamil actor in Tamil?
I think it is ok to speak in English if there are non-Tamil audience.
What do you think?
Tamil or hindi or English is pretty tough issue for a tamilian staying outside Tamil Nadu.
ReplyDeleteMy logic is however different. I admire Tamil for its beauty. < a href="http://theotherday-kirtivasan.blogspot.com/2017/11/magic-squares.html"> See this to understand the beauty of Tamil language <\a>.
A R Rahman was gentlemanly. And I would have exactly behaved like him if I was in the same situation.
It is ok to speak in English when there are non Tamil audiences. Because English language has accepted foreign words into its vocabulary. Mango from mangai for example.
Thanks for your comments Kirtivasan. I agree with you 100%.
DeleteIf the anchor had spoken before a Tamil audience in Hindi or English for long, it may be another matter. Just hailing a Hindi actor in his language to make him comfortable is no serious issue to take umbrage at. Anyway all is well that ended well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Mr. KP. I beg to differ with you. Mr. Rahman asked the anchor if she knows Tamil and will she speak in Tamil all the way before the start of the program. She agreed. Now when the program started she wanted to show
Deleteher knowledge of Hindi. The Chutzpah of that girl. (meaning the nerve of that girl)
That movie has already got a lot of publicity. Then why this need for even more publicity, I am not sure!
ReplyDeleteDestination Infinity
Thanks for your comments Rajesh. You wrote "that movie". Which movie? You mean that video clip in Youtube? Wny not more publicity? This way these Hindi fanatics will think twice before imposing Hindi on Tamil people. The worst case is the Tamil speaking anchor has that chutzpah.
DeleteThis clip is from the press release of 99 Songs movie produced by AR Rahman. This movie is being made in three languages including Hindi.
DeleteActually this is primarily a bollywood movie which is also being made in Tamil & Telugu.
Since this particular press release was in Chennai, this incident happened 'in the spur of the moment'.
Destination Infinity
No offense to anyone but I feel the crowd from Chennai are too stuck up about talking in Hindi....they need to cool down about things like that....there are much worse things in this world
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Dee. Stuck up about talking in Hindi? Why not? If they insist on talking in Hindi in Chennai, Tamilians should put a stop to it. The gall of these people. There are lot of North Indian guys working in Tamil Nadu restaurants, Some people try to speak in Tamil. I applaud them. Others speak to the customers in Hindi. Is it ok with you if a Tamil restaurant worker in Delhi try to ask a customer what they want in Tamil language?
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DeleteThanks for your response. I never said only Tamil. I said don't impose Hindi. You are a big champion for Hindi. As a matter of fact Tamil,is a better language than Hindi. There are many wonderful literatures in Tamil. Hindi has only 2. Tulsi Das's Ramayana and another Is All India Railway Time Table.
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DeleteNo one imposes Hindi? So much for your knowledge of what is happening in India. Mic drop. No more comment from me as a reply to you.
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DeleteMy feeling is this was done deliberately, just to create a controversy.
ReplyDeleteBecause going by simple logic and common sense, it would have been -- as you rightly said -- to speak in English or Tamil.
Some people just love to do it differently ... for all the effect it creates!
Thanks for your comments Pradeep. I agree with you. Done deliberately.
DeleteThe people should feel the pulse of the surrounding area. The T.N's Tamil spirit is appreciable. Had it happened in Kerala, none would have even noticed it because they are mostly copy-cats. Keralites are not that attached to anything including their mother-tongue and that is of course, a drawback. When the T.N prefers Tamil, the matter should be favourably looked into. A.R. has sensed the pulse of T.N. and hence the compulsion.
ReplyDeleteHindi is also a rich language like Tamil and it binds many of the Northern states together.
Contributions of Mahadevi Varma, Prem Chand, Sumitranandan Pant, Harvansh Rai Bachan and many others along with the old-styled Doha writers have vital lives in them.