Times of India - 15/3/09The last laugh may be on Charlie Chaplin, cinema’s funny man who mocked prejudice and fascism. Left-wing and suspected of communist sympathies, Chaplin was called many things in his lifetime, but ‘Christian’ wasn’t one of them. But the new tag comes courtesy BJP activists in Baindur, near Udupi. They have blocked installation of Chaplin’s statue saying it would hurt Hindu sentiment.
The statue was being installed by director Hemant Hegde as he prepared to shoot the song sequence of his new movie ‘Housefull’. On Friday, local BJP leader Suresh Batwadi stopped the film unit from going ahead with the project, claiming the land on which the statue was to be installed belonged to the Someshwara temple and the crew didn’t have the requisite permission.
Hegde said he had obtained permission and discussed the shoot with officials. ‘‘I had apprised the gram panchayat and Udipi deputy commissioner. The BJP activists questioned me on why I was not installing Vivekananda’s statue,’’ he said. He said he’s shifting the shoot elsewhere.
Condemnation poured in from artistes but local authorities said they couldn’t do anything about the matter as ‘‘no complaint (had been) registered’’.
The government is backing the protesters. Home minister V S Acharya, who is in Udupi, told STOI the locals have every right to express concern. He dismissed reports that BJP workers had objected because Chaplin was a ‘‘Christian, and not Indian’’. He insisted, ‘‘It is all fabrication, and a communal colour is being given to it. The local people have valid objections that a statue of 67 feet of a permanent nature cannot be established.’’ He also claimed permission had not been obtained.
But the head of police had a different take on the issue. “It is near a temple, the local people are against installing a Chaplin statue and instead want a statue of Vivekananda.”
The statue was being installed by director Hemant Hegde as he prepared to shoot the song sequence of his new movie ‘Housefull’. On Friday, local BJP leader Suresh Batwadi stopped the film unit from going ahead with the project, claiming the land on which the statue was to be installed belonged to the Someshwara temple and the crew didn’t have the requisite permission.
Hegde said he had obtained permission and discussed the shoot with officials. ‘‘I had apprised the gram panchayat and Udipi deputy commissioner. The BJP activists questioned me on why I was not installing Vivekananda’s statue,’’ he said. He said he’s shifting the shoot elsewhere.
Condemnation poured in from artistes but local authorities said they couldn’t do anything about the matter as ‘‘no complaint (had been) registered’’.
The government is backing the protesters. Home minister V S Acharya, who is in Udupi, told STOI the locals have every right to express concern. He dismissed reports that BJP workers had objected because Chaplin was a ‘‘Christian, and not Indian’’. He insisted, ‘‘It is all fabrication, and a communal colour is being given to it. The local people have valid objections that a statue of 67 feet of a permanent nature cannot be established.’’ He also claimed permission had not been obtained.
But the head of police had a different take on the issue. “It is near a temple, the local people are against installing a Chaplin statue and instead want a statue of Vivekananda.”
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