Feeling Ashamed as a Member of the Film Industry: Ananta Sriram’s Remarks at Hindu Sankharavam Event
At the grand religious gathering of 'Hindu Sankharavam' organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Kesarpalli, Vijayawada, Tollywood lyricist Ananta Sriram’s speech became a focal point of discussion. Addressing a crowd of thousands, he expressed his discontent with certain cinematic portrayals of revered characters, particularly citing the recently released film Kalki. He openly admitted feeling ashamed of being part of the film industry after witnessing what he described as a distortion of Karna’s character.
“Mahabharata and Ramayana are like two eyes of Indian literature. However, numerous instances of distorting Vyasa’s Mahabharata and Valmiki’s Ramayana for entertainment purposes can be observed, from films released a few years ago to the latest Kalki. Seeing the unwarranted glorification of Karna’s character in Kalki made me feel ashamed as someone belonging to the film industry. I am stating this without hesitation, and I am making this statement standing here on the soil of Krishna district,” he declared.
Elaborating on his stance, he criticized the glorification of Karna in cinema and raised questions about the acceptance of such portrayals by society. “If we don’t call out a mistake as a mistake, we neither belong to the Hindu faith nor practice it. Even declaring oneself as a Hindu becomes meaningless in such cases. Will anyone accept Karna, who advised stripping Draupadi in a public assembly, as a noble warrior? Will this society recognize Karna, who fled the battlefield in fear during the encounter with the Gandharva army, as a hero?” he asked.
Continuing his critique, Sriram stated, “Can we consider Karna, who merely engaged in acts of charity in a kingdom he received as a donation, on par with Dharmaraja, the greatest benefactor? In Kalki, portraying Karna—who wielded a bow gifted by the Sun God—as a superior warrior to Arjuna—who wielded a bow bestowed by Agni—raises the question: does victory in battle come from strength or from righteousness? Should we remain silent on such issues?”
He also pointed out the embellishments and distortions in cinematic adaptations of epics, citing examples from the Ramayana. “Not just in the Mahabharata, but in Valmiki’s Ramayana too, several fictional additions have been made for visual appeal, such as depicting stones floating on water or a battle between Rama and his sons Lava and Kusha. Should we continue to remain silent about such misrepresentations?” he questioned passionately.
In a surprising revelation, Ananta Sriram shared a personal experience from his career in the film industry. He recounted an incident involving a music director who refused to compose a song due to the inclusion of the term ‘Brahmanda Nayakudu’ (Lord of the Universe), a term with Hindu connotations.
“I approached a music director for a song, but he rejected it, citing the use of the term ‘Brahmanda Nayakudu.’ He said he wouldn’t work on a song with such a Hindu term. I then vowed that I would never write a song for him again. It has been 15 years, and I have kept my word,” he revealed.
Concluding his speech, Ananta Sriram appealed to the public to take a stand against movies that disrespect Hindu culture. “To prevent producers who demean the Hindu faith from making money, it is the people, not the government, who must reject such films,” he urged.