Recently released Tamil movie Jai Bhim which stars actor Suriya playing the role of a lawyer fighting for the basic rights of an oppressed community in the state has earned praise for pointing out caste-based politics and oppression. Besides Suriya’s acting and the story, Jai Bhim has also sparked a conversation on social media regarding a scene where actor Prakash Raj slaps a man for speaking in Hindi.
The actor plays the role of a police officer in the movie who values the language of the state and was triggered when a man spoke in Hindi in front of him. Several opinions on the scene were shared on social media. Some were irked by the character’s intense opposition to the Hindi language while some pointed out how many people who have taken offense because of the scene are viewing it out of context and the cultural history of the region.
Read: Jai Bhim Slapping Controversy: Prakash Raj Breaks Silence, Says ‘Probably it Came Across as More Intense’
One user had tweeted, “It's funny how some North Indians are taking out a scene from Jai Bhim without knowing its context in the film and bashing Prakash Raj as if he has beaten someone who speaks Hindi in real life. Bollywood misrepresented South India for decades, but they can't digest a scene.”
It's funny how some North Indians are taking out a scene from #JaiBhim without knowing its context in the film and bashing Prakash Raj as if he has beaten someone who speaks Hindi in real life. Bollywood misrepresented South India for decades, but they can't digest a scene.— The Saudade Guy (@thesaudadeguy) November 3, 2021
With much Twitter debate over the language issue, Prakash himself has come out with his take on the scene. Speaking to News9live earlier this week, the actor questioned whether those who are offended by the scene did not see the agony of the tribal people. The actor told the news website that those taking offence did not see and feel terrible about the injustice faced by the oppressed caste and they saw only the slap. The actor said that it shows how some viewers only focused on the slap scene and ignored the larger story which “exposes their agenda.”
Read: Prakash Raj Slapping Hindi-speaking Man in Tamil Film ‘Jai Bhim’ Sparks Language Debate
The 56-year-old actor said that at times it is essential to document certain things in movies. Citing an example, Prakash said that the anger of South Indians on Hindi language being imposed on them is something that needs to be portrayed. Explaining the nuance of the scene which has been the subject of the controversy, Praksh said that his character of policeman was irked when the criminal tried to dodge questioning by speaking in Hindi. “How else will a police officer who is investigating a case react when he knows that a person who knows the local language chooses to speak in Hindi to dodge questioning? That has to be documented, right?”
Prakash added that the film is set in the 1990s and depicts the political and cultural situation of that time when Hindi language was being imposed in the state. The actor said that had a police officer at that time come across such a tactic by a criminal he would have reacted this way only. The actor also said that if some viewers found the scene too intense, it may be because that is how he also thinks about the language politics and he stands by his opinion.
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