Illustration: Srijit R. Kumar

Actor Kasturi Shankar, who came out of Puzhal jail on conditional bail on November 21, is one such celebrity-talking head who is currently in the news for controversial comments. He was arrested by the police in Hyderabad for making controversial remarks about the ‘Telugu’ origin of the first family of Tamil Nadu’s ruling party DMK.

With this arrest, Ms Kasturi joins the growing list of anti-DMK voices who have been arrested for making distasteful comments about the ruling government.

He made the comments at a protest organized by the right-wing Hindu nationalist party Indu Makkal Katchi led by Arjun Sampath. The protest was called with a demand that a law similar to the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1952 (PCR Act) be enacted to protect Brahmins from defamation and derogatory comments on their caste identity from certain political quarters.

widespread criticism

Comparing the denigration of Brahmin sensibilities and identity to the expulsion of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir in the early 1990s, Ms Kasturi said Brahmins cannot be called ‘outsiders’ by the ‘Telugu speaking people’ who were in conflict with the Telugu kings. Came to Tamil Nadu. Take care of the needs of his harem.

He faced widespread criticism for his comments, prompting him to clarify that he did not cast an attack on Telugu speakers as a whole. After coming out of jail, Ms Kasturi thanked those critics for ‘turning a small voice like hers into a raging cyclone’.

After returning to India in 2017 from the US, where she was living with her husband, Ms Kasturi, known for her bold choices of films like Amaidhi Padai, Indian and Thamizh Padam, has been one of the celebrities who Became omnipresent on television. , YouTube and social media, often opines on a wide variety of topics – be it language division in India, NEET controversy, federalism, MeToo or Tamil nationalism.

An avid quizzer and former Miss Chennai, Ms Kasturi, who has acted in over 50 films in multiple languages, emerged as a celebrity commentator when an eco-system of politically connected social media personalities developed.

social media presence

After being a busy actress until the early 2000s, Ms. Kasturi took a break in 2009 before doing an item song in Thamizh Padam, a spoof film starring Mirchi Siva.

She also hosted a quiz show on a Tamil private channel and continued working in other reality shows including Bigg Boss.

He was seen taking on the political class, debating complex issues arising without compromise and taking aim at staunch fans of Tamil film actors, taunting their supporters and inviting insensitive trolls. Ms Kasturi, known as a largely neutral voice on television and social media, is today primarily recognized as someone who reflects the views of the upper class, Tamil Brahmins, in politics.

With people consuming news and information primarily on social media, the phenomenon of celebrity talking heads and online opinion makers, especially critics, finding themselves in the crosshairs of the state government has only increased the political establishment in Tamil Nadu. Has worked to expose double standards. , who wants to be seen as leading the ideological fight against the ‘fascist’ BJP government even while using state resources to jail critics.

However, it is difficult to ignore Ms Kasturi’s transformation from a former quizzesman, actor and a well-informed neutral voice on many issues to a right-wing commentator speaking on upper caste issues, especially her participation in the Indu Makkal Katchi protests. After his decision to take. ,

She wants to combine ridicule and criticism of privilege in society with hatred and hegemony.

Kasturi’s remarks about the ‘Telugu origins’ of DMK’s first family have created a storm in the state.