FILM ACTORS PROTEST OVER ANANDA VIKATAN ARTICLE

BY N.THYAGARAJAN

Leading film actors and actresses protested an article against the late actors Shivaji Ganesan and MGR which appeared in a cinema portal and followed by in Ananda Vikatan, Tamil weekly magazine published from Chennai. The article disparaging remarks about the late actors MGR and Shivaji Ganesan was initially written by a Journalist Jaya Mohan for a web site. Following the publication, the Ananda Vikatan magazine made some corrections and published it in their weekly magazine. Following, the scurrilous writings, the leading actors and actresses organised a meeting at the South Indian Film Artistes' Association.

Actor Sarath Kumar in his speech has said, that those who lived and dead are to be treated as God. The two heroes were though gone and dead were like God, guiding the present day actors and actresses with their excellent in acting career. As an actor, Sarath Kumar, said that he could not tolerate the disparaging remarks of the Ananda Vikatan and the web site. He also made a scathing attack about the writer Jaya Mohan, stating that no one knew he the Jaya Mohan was. But the Ananda Vikatan carried the very same article which was not tolerated by any one. Hence, he wanted the magazine and Jaya Mohan to come out openly to tender their unconditional apologise.

Actor Radha Ravi who had also sought the website and magazine to come out openly to tender their apologies to all. He elaborated that the articles criticised late Shivaji Ganesan's acting career and MGR's speech capacity. Radha Ravi wanted the magazine and the web site to tender their apologies immediately.

Actress Manorama, in her speech said that she could not tolerate about the criticisms and warned that she herself would lead a procession and would start dharna in front of the Ananda Vikatan's office for many days. She made it a point, had the late editor S.S.Vasan lived by this time he would not have allowed the magazine to carry such a derogatory article against MGR and Shivaji Ganesan.

Sathyaraj in his speech said that he had no belief in God, but the two heroes were living like Gods to others. In his opinion, Sathyaraj said, that the writer Jaya Mohan does not know the Tamil language. His language was corrected by the Tamil magazine and made it print again. He wanted the magazine and the web site to immediately tender their apologies.

G.Prabhu in his speech has said that his father and MGR were the treasures of the Tamil film industry. He also wanted that a news like this should not take place in the future. He thanked all the actors and actresses for having lent their support unitedly to protest the magazine and the web site and the writer Jaya Mohan.

Radhika Sarath Kumar in her speech has said, that the two were pillars of the film industry and she could not tolerate the criticisms of the magazine. She also underlined that some of the web site formally used to publish the awkard photos of actresses and they have advanced further by criticising the late actors. She criticised the 50 years Ananda Vikatan had stoop to the level of a lower strata.

Early, the Film Actors Association passed the following resolutions:

1.The Film Artistes Association has strongly condemned the news item of the Ananda Vikatan and the web site.

2. The actors, actresses and the film technicians will not give any interview, photos or any other form of help to the magazine to carry out their cinema news till the magazine tendering their an open apology.

3. The Tamil film industry has severed the connection with the Ananda Vikatan and the web site.

4. The writer Jaya Mohan should immediately take back the article which he wrote against the late actors MGR and Shivaji Ganesan and must tender his apology. The film industry hereafter have planned to severe connection with the writer Jaya Mohan.

5. The meeting called for an overall control through the Censor Board Officials to control the web sites and magazines writing about films.