Filmmaker’s remark on Chola king triggers row in TN

TIL Desk/National/TN/ More than his monumental achievements and the Brihadishwara temple in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur that he constructed which still draws lakhs of devotees annually, the mighty Chola emperor Raja Raja’s religious identity suddenly appears to be in question. Raja Raja I had built the Brihadishwara or the Big Temple between 1003 and 1010 AD and he was the inspiring force behind the expansion of his kingdom by land and sea.

The life and living conditions of the Cholas had always fascinated the people in Chennai and Kalki Krishnamurthy’s Ponniyin Selvan (Ponni’s son) in Tamil depicting the story of Arulmozhivarman, later known as Raja Raja Cholan, continues to hold sway in people’s mind. Recently, Tamil filmmaker Vetrimaaran stoked a controversy, apparently targeting the Right wing forces.

He claimed that Raja Raja Cholan was depicted as a Hindu king and already attempts were made to take away Tamil saint poet Tiruvalluvar’s identity as well. His remark found support from actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan and Congress parliamentarian S Jothimani. Several pro-Tamil activists claimed on social media that the Chola kings were Shaivites by faith and this identity of the Tamil kings was “hijacked. “His remark comes days after the release of Mani Ratnam’s multi-starrer film Ponniyin Selvan, based on author Kalki Krishnamurthy’s historical fiction.