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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Street Circus

The NEET-UG paper leak was a genuine grievance. Millions of students who spent years preparing for one of India’s toughest examinations deserved answers, accountability and justice. But what unfolded at Jantar Mantar was no movement for educational reform. It was a spectacle of rage, abuse and performative rebellion that often appeared more interested in viral clips than viable solutions. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which claimed to represent the anger of students, ended up exposing...

Street Circus

The NEET-UG paper leak was a genuine grievance. Millions of students who spent years preparing for one of India’s toughest examinations deserved answers, accountability and justice. But what unfolded at Jantar Mantar was no movement for educational reform. It was a spectacle of rage, abuse and performative rebellion that often appeared more interested in viral clips than viable solutions. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which claimed to represent the anger of students, ended up exposing itself, revealing itself to promote a culture of outrage without responsibility and more troubling, have aspersions cast on its funding sources. Besides the fact that just how many of those gathered were afflicted NEET students, the ugliest part of the protest was the language. Videos from Jantar Mantar showed protesters hurling the most obscene and personal abuses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One can dislike the PM or oppose his policies, reducing political disagreement to filthy personal abuse against an elected Prime Minister is gross cowardice and at the basic level, a sheer failure of basic civic etiquette. No entity cannot claim to be fighting for the dignity of students while abandoning all standards of dignity in public discourse. The irony was impossible to miss. A section of this self-proclaimed progressive generation speaks constantly about equality, feminism, tolerance and justice. Yet the very same voices displayed extraordinary intolerance towards anyone they decided was an enemy. Journalists were targeted, political opponents were dehumanised and anyone carrying a different opinion was casually branded with labels designed to silence rather than debate. Social media has created a dangerous illusion among many young activists that a viral video is a victory, and that shouting louder is the same as achieving something. A few Instagram reels, borrowed revolutionary imagery and slogans can create the appearance of rebellion. But governing a country and reforming institutions and fixing broken systems require far more than theatrical anger. The government, however, cannot escape responsibility either. The crisis was allowed to grow because of delayed communication and inadequate political management. A prompt response, transparent investigation and early intervention could have prevented a limited controversy from becoming a national embarrassment. Instead, the government was forced into damage control, and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a capable minister, became the political casualty. For the citizens, it was a colossal waste of time. After weeks of noise, confrontation and disruption, the students gained little. The examination system remains under scrutiny and larger problems remain unresolved. The only visible outcome is the removal of a minister. A protest that begins with a genuine grievance but ends as a contest of abuse and attention-seeking has not strengthened democracy. It has weakened the very standards it claims to defend.

Cinema’s Quiet Unifier

A. Krishnamurthi’s maiden Marathi film was inspired by Balasaheb Thackeray

Mumbai: Renowned film producer A. Krishnamurthi, founder of Tina Films International (TFI), passed away early Friday following a brief illness. He was 98. He breathed his last at Lilavati Hospital, Bandra, where he had been admitted three days ago, his daughter Ramya Iyer said.


“He is survived by his wife Mathuram, sons K. Ravi Shankar and K. Ramji, and myself,” an emotional Ramya Iyer said.


In a final act reflecting his lifelong commitment to society, Krishnamurthi’s mortal remains were donated to the Somaiya Medical College & Research Centre, in keeping with his wishes. “He had expressed his desire to donate his body for medical education several years ago. The family has honoured that wish,” said his son-in-law, Venkat Iyer.


From 1983, the TFI banner went on to produce a string of successful Hindi films under his stewardship, including “Ghar Ek Mandir” (1984), “Swarag Se Sunder” (1986), “Sindoor” (1987), “Charanon Ki Saugandh” (1988), “Gharana” (1989), “Benaam Badsha” (1991), “Meherbaan” (1993), “Aag” (1994), and “Himmatwala” and “Mere Do Anmol Ratan” (both 1998).


A firm believer in nurturing fresh talent, Krishnamurthi gave the crucial ‘break’ to many actors and technicians across Bollywood and South Indian film industry - Sonali Bendre, Namrata Shirodkar, Sonam, Rupini, Khushboo, directors, writers, music-directors, singers, and trained his sons - as they went on to become big names over the years, a legacy he cherished deeply, said his family.


Bridges of Harmony

In a turbulent period marked by rising regional tensions and cultural animosity, a genteel and powerful Krishnamurthi built bridges of harmony through the medium of cinema – and succeeded.


In the late-1960s, when the fiery cartoonist and Shiv Sena founder Bal Keshav Thackeray spearheaded a strident campaign against South Indians – with the unsettling slogan “Bajao Pungi, Hatao Lungi” - a young Krishnamurthi, himself a ‘Madrassi’ outsider in Mumbai, managed to win over the tempestuous Tiger.


Armed with Thackeray’s “blessings”, Krishnamurthi ventured into Marathi cinema with his debut production, “Devmanoos” (1970). Featuring an illustrious cast including Durga Khote, Kashinath Ghanekar, Ramesh Deo and music by Sudhir Phadke, the film emerged as a symbolic, cultural and cinematic statement - signaling a thaw in strained social equations then.


Freedom Movement

Born with a quiet resilience, Krishnamurthi had earlier been part of India’s freedom struggle, briefly imprisoned and suffered British batons during the Quit India Movement (1942). That early brush with sacrifice and nationhood shaped his worldview which he later expressed through his films, which consistently championed unity, family values, communal amity and social harmony.


After his Marathi foray, he produced a Gujarati film “Sansar Chakra” (1978), rooted in themes of familial bonds. But it was in 1983 that his cinematic vision went full-throated with the launch of Tina Films International (TFI), marking his entry into mainstream Hindi cinema.


Over the next decade, Krishnamurthi also produced two Telugu films - “Puttinti Pattu Cheera” (1990) and “Amma Kadupu Chellaga” (1991) - further expanding his multilingual footprint.


“With his charismatic personality, he brought together people of all faiths and backgrounds. He helped dissolve prejudices against South Indians at a time when divisions ran deep,” recalled his daughter Ramya Iyer.


Creative Talent

However, Krishnamurthi’s journey in the glamour world cinema began humbly in 1948 under the mentorship of the legendary S. S. Vasan, founder of Gemini Studios in Chennai. He later worked with leading production houses such as Venus Pictures and Padmalaya Studios, learning the art and craft of film-making from some of the finest minds in Indian cinema.


Often regarded as “one of the most creative talents to emerge from Vasan’s stable”, Krishnamurthi went on to carve his own distinct cinematic identity through TFI. His films - marked by strong narratives, moral clarity and emotional depth - always celebrated Indian cultural values, enriched by memorable music, songs and dance.


A gifted linguist, he was fluent in Tamil, Marathi, Hindi, English, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. This rare ability allowed him to connect effortlessly across regions and cultures, and infused sheer authenticity into his cinematic narratives.


Beyond cinema, Krishnamurthi was deeply committed to the arts and cultural integration. A longtime member of the Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha in Sion, he played an active role in promoting cultural dialogue.


He was felicitated in 1992 by C. Subramaniam and was associated with organisations such as the Bharat Cultural Integration Committee and the Madras Telugu Academy.


He also organised national film festivals and cultural events centred on communal harmony and universal brotherhood - ideals he upheld both on and off screen.


Old timers who knew him say Krishnamurthi’s greatest legacy lies not merely in the films he produced, but in the bridges he built - across languages, regions and communities - coming across as a quiet unifier and a narrator who believed cinema could heal, connect and endure.

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