Carnatic musicians condemned Kamal Haasan for his comments on legendary composer Tyagaraja in a recent Instagram live session with Vijay Sethupathi. They have now signed petitions seeing apology from Kamal Haasan for his comment on saint Tyagaraja.
In the video, Kamal, said that Tyagaraja was ‘begging in praise of Lord Rama’. This has irked the sentiments of the Carnatic music fraternity.Palghat Ramprasad, a renowned vocalist, has started a petition against Kamal Haasan for his irresponsible comments and also sought an apology from him. More than 3000 people have signed the petition as of now including a few celebrities. In the petition, Ramprasad wrote, ‘ Every Carnatic musician, regardless of how they exhibit their affiliation to the outside world, deep within themselves know that they owe every bit of their basic livelihood and professional success, to Sri Tyagaraja’s contribution to Carnatic music. The specific reference to Thygarajar and Lord Rama, also suggests the negatively pointed target on a specific religion/caste, which is indeed an insult to the followers of this faith.’
Singer Mahathi, was one of the firsts to share the petition on her social media page and expressed her disappointment over his comments. She said, ‘I am an ardent fan of Kamal Hassan’s artistic works, but his recent comment definitely irks. It is so important that an artiste of his stature ensures that he chooses the right words and presents his points clearly. Most importantly none should hurt the feelings of others and try to change them to one’s own thoughts and ideologies. Thus said nothing /none can belittle the greatest Composer Saint Tyagaraja and his works (sic).’