Kannada activists block shooting of Tamil film

Close on the heels of Tamil activists disrupting the shooting of a Kannada film at the summer resort of Ooty in Tamil Nadu, Kannada activists stalled the shooting of a Tamil film at a picturesque locale close to Talacauvery, where the disputed river Cauvery originates.

Kannada activists turned up at the Veerabhumi resort in Madikeri, where the Tamil film “Ilamai Jodi”, featuring veterans Nizhalgal Ravi and Vinu Chakravarthi was being picturized. Shouting slogans, the Kannada activists said the film unit should pack up as Tamil activists had disallowed shooting of a Kannada film on Tamil soil.

Director Periyaswamy and Producer Michael Suresh tried to convince the protestors, but their efforts went in vain. The film unit was forced to call off the shooting schedule because of the unrelenting stand of the Kannada activists. Police too rushed to the spot to control the situation.

The disruption in the shooting of a Tamil movie in Karnataka comes less than a week after DMK workers stalled the shooting of a song sequence for the film “Mathadu Mathadu Mallige” featuring Kannada matinee idol Vishnuvardhan and actress Suhasini at the scenic Botanical Gardens of Ooty. The Kannada film unit had to pack up and return to Karnataka with police protection.

Though Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are involved in a bitter row over the sharing of Cauvery river waters, it is the Tamil movies and television channels, which are caught in the cross-fire between the two states. While Kannada activists are targeting theatres screening Tamil movies in Kanataka, the cable operators had blacked out Tamil television channels soon after the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal delivered its final order on February 5.