The Vexing Fans of Tamil Cinema

People outside Tamil Nadu would’ve definitely heard about the frenzy celebrations before a Rajini movie release, but that’s just the tip of an iceberg.

            (A 175 ft cut-out of actor Vijay)

A lead actor attaining stardom in Tamil cinema is as difficult as it is anywhere else. Once there, they attain cult status and become demigods by default. Even their smallest of actions are celebrated as acts of generosity and an army of fans work overtime to promote these, which is often accompanied by abuse for people who think otherwise. While this is common to any lunatic fan base, what is unique to Tamil cinema is the organized nature of fan clubs and the scale of the nuisance they manage to pull off during movie releases. 

To give you some context, every ‘star actor’ in Tamil Nadu has fan clubs that have branches all over the state very much like a political party and importantly, most of them are officially recognized by the actor himself. These clubs are platforms through which fanatic fans get access to their icon and fans also consider it a matter of pride to become office bearers in such associations. They are usually registered as social welfare organizations and they do organize events on the birthdays of their stars, where stitching machines, iron boxes, wheelchairs and other items of daily use are distributed freely to the needy. But considering their usually paltry income levels of fan members, such events are rare as they are financially straining. In any case, fans associations were merely celebratory and never intended for social service in the first place. 

        (Fans pouring milk to a cut-out of actor Rajini)

When it's a film’s release, the fans begin their day by around midnight and conglomerate around the designated cinema halls in droves, bringing with them large hoardings of their star. Massive cutouts are erected and equally impressive garlands are hoisted. Bands are brought for music and they dance in the streets adjoining the theatre before the show begins. Theatres catering to these fans usually organize special shows by 4 am and 7 am that runs to full houses (usual shows begin by 11 am). Notably, this frenzied crowd is a guaranteed presence even if the movie releases on a regular weekday. The celebrations extend till late in the evening, bringing with it all possible disturbances to the public in the theatre’s surrounding. 

(Movie releases have proven to be a major traffic hindrance)

The celebratory fan crowd is expectedly all male and they put up an erratic display of rituals like pouring milk on the banners of their heroes (which is actually a common ritual for Hindu deities in TN). Lately, it has become a competition among fans of different stars to better the other in celebrations. Bursting crackers and littering the roads by withering flower petals are other common violations that these fan groups have habituated themselves to. More dangerously, at times crackers are even exploded inside the movie hall, with little concern for the safety of fellow moviegoers. The most gruesome of the celebratory ritual is the one with goat blood, where the heads of live goats are chopped off and the blood from the neck is splashed on the posters of their idols. While this ritual is relatively new, it is but an indication of the degradation that the situation has undergone. The saddening fact is that all these celebrations are sponsored by the fan clubs that usually raise the money from contributions by its members, most of whom are meagre earners. 

(Busting crackers in the theatre's auditorium with little concern for safety)

The theatres running morning shows and allowing the erection of fan banners on their premises, see in these celebrations an easy business opportunity and free advertisement for the movies that they run. The concerned actors see this display as a stamp on their star power, which helps them negotiate better terms for their future films. Further, inspired by the success of MGR and Jayalalitha, most star actors in Tamil Nadu have been nurturing political ambitions, which makes it imperative for them to tacitly patron a strong fan base. The government too doesn't curtail erratic celebrations as it is usually reluctant to antagonize the organized fan machinery that can cost them a few hundred votes in every constituency. As a result, while multiple stakeholders have their reasons to sustain this culture, it is the common public that suffers. But more importantly, by spending their valuable time and money for stars who seem to care little beyond their own selves, it is the fans themselves who suffer the most without even realizing it.  

(A fan falls to death while attempting to garland a cut-out)

Considering the ill effects of this menace, we as a society can’t afford to allow this to continue. As an immediate step, the government needs to impose sufficient restrictions on celebrations. Banning special shows altogether is also an action worth considering. Nonetheless, while it is easy to discredit the fans as thugs with little sense, it needs to be recognized that the dearth of socializing avenues is what is driving folks to organize themselves as fan clubs. This gap has no quick fixes, but promoting organized sports/drama, or encouraging other alternatives for social groupings will ensure that energetic youngsters are channelized in the right direction. Reinventing our polity by strengthening a cadre-based political setup is another aspect that would provide a better social avenue.