Jnana - pure knowledge

In the earlier post, I had showered high praises on Rajdeep for his special show on Bangalore. While everything was right in that program, I take objection for one point. Towards the end of this special program the winner of the poll which aimed at finding that person who made Bangaloreans proud was announced.

I have been following this poll from many days. People like Narayan Murthy, Kiran Muzumdar Shaw, Dravid, Kumble, Anathamurthy, Karnad & Raj Kumar were in fray. But considering the fact that this poll was held by a English channel, I was expecting that Narayan Murthy would win by large margin.

My beliefs were coming true initially. Narayan Murthy was leading the poll initially. But Dravid & Kumble were also in the race. But when the final results announced, I was taken by surprise. It was Raj Kumar again! At last, Bangalore proved that its ethos remained intact.

But Rajdeep annoyed me while announcing the results. He was of an opinion that film stars always win public polls. He did not bother to focus on the person as great as Raj Kumar. I know I may sound like a language fanatic here, but I really felt let down by Rajdeep’s neglect.

For the people of Karnataka, Raj Kumar is not merely a film star. He represents the culture of the land. It is through him that most of us have understood how Gods look. He brought to life the mythological characters and installed the sense of morality among people. It was he who told us how our historical heroes looked.

So, people like Rajdeep should understand this difference. Rajdeep may have thought that Raj Kumar is someone like Amitab. He should note that Raj Kumar is something more than mere actor. You cannot compare him with any actors of this generation.

If people of Bangalore have decided that Raj Kumar is the person who makes them feel proud as Bangaloreans, they are correct. No one was ever successful to capture our lives like him. And when commenting on Raj Kumar, one should understand the sentiments of the people of the land.

I have seen many people who come from other states speaking low of this great person. Everyone has the right to have their own opinion about issues. But they have the duty to understand all the facts before voicing their opinion. They should understand that people here see him not merely as actor but as a cultural symbol.

This is not the reflection of our obsession with films. This sentiment has stemmed from various reasons. There is a need to understand this phenomenon from different perspectives. People, if they cannot afford to take some time off to understand this complex theory, should at least show respect. This courteous behavior is the minimum standard we expect from others.