Kaala, Cauvery And Karnataka: Kannadigas Are Hurt But What Has The Film To Do With The River Asks Prakash Raj

Just when twitter folks had begun to question his absence post the elections, Prakash Raj is back and with yet another controversial remark. The actor turned ‘thinker’ on Sunday (3 June) questioned the reasoning behind the ban on Rajnikanth starrer Kaala which is due to hit the silver screen this Friday.

Pro-Kannada activists had staged a protest on Saturday (2 June) in front of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) demanding a ban on the film. The protests were in reaction to Rajinikanth's statement asking for the implementation of the Supreme Court order in the Cauvery water sharing issues.

“Who are these people to decide what Kannadigas want or don’t want?” asked Raj in his comment on the issue, and that he is sure to be branded anti-Kannadiga for the same. But twitter folks too reminded him that the trend that the actor activist was opposing had been kickstarted by the superstar in question himself. Rajinikanth had earlier demanded that IPL matches should be moved out of Chennai.

Film Federation of India president Sakshi Mehra is said to have asked the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce to hold talks with KFCC to get the movie released in the interest of the film industry. According to Vijayvani, the President of KFCC Sa Ra Govindu said "When the Kaveri issue rose in 2016 there was opposition to the release of the film Nagarahaavu in Tamil Nadu. Where had Prakash Raj gone then?”

“Kannadigas are upset with Rajinikanth's comments on the Cauvery issue and so his film will not be released in Karnataka. As many as ten letters from various pro-Kannada groups have reached the Film Chamber, demanding a ban on Kaala in Karnataka. Considering the sentiments of Kannadigas, there is pressure on us to not release the film," he had said earlier, as reported by DNA.

The latest on it though is that the distributers themselves have decided to ‘voluntarily’ not release the film in Karnataka.