Last Updated: October 22, 2022, 16:32 IST
Chetan’s statement sparked outrage across the state.
Chetan had earlier tweeted that the Pambada/Nalike/Parawa’s traditions predate Vedic-Brahminical Hinduism
While Kannada film Kantara continues minting money at the box office with all its dubbed versions, the controversy around actor Chetan Kumar’s recent remark about the film does not seem to subside. Chetan Kumar’s statement that the Bhootha Kola ritual and the deities portrayed in the film were not part of Hindu culture had already led to backlash from many sectors, now the professional dancers who perform the ritual have decided to protest in their own way. They have decided to worship the deity known as Panjurli, shown in the film, as means of protesting against Chetan’s statement.
Chetan had earlier tweeted that the Pambada/Nalike/Parawa’s \ traditions predate Vedic-Brahminical Hinduism and had rubbished director and actor Rishabh Shetty’s statement that everything shown in the movie was part of Hinduism. He had even asked to not include Adivasi worship in Hinduism.
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Chetan’s statement sparked outrage across the state. Rishabh’s father Bhaskar Shetty, traditional deity worshippers in the coastal Karnataka and divine dancers have protested against the statement. The Hindu Vigilance Forum also filing a complaint against Chetan at the Karkala police station.
The coastal residents of the state who perform the divine dance of Bhootha Kola have said that as protest against the actor’s statement, they will worship Panjurli, a spirit worshipped in the area. The spirit locals believe takes the form of a male wild boar. Panjurli had been extensively featured in Kantara and was integral to the plot.
Leeladhar Kumar Bangera from Udupi has been involved in this form of worship for years and has said their worship has been around for years and they have been upholding it for generations. He said that people live on the coast for years and they cannot be dubbed Adivasis. Morever, he said that they are not actors who performed the Bhootha Kola in the movie as part of acting. He said they perform it genuinely for years and the best way to respond to Chetan’s statement was worshipping the deity Panjurli earnestly as part of protest.
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