A day after Senior Journalist Chiru Bhat had released a video exposing the derogatory scenes targeting the Brahmin community in the newly released Kannada movie ‘Pogaru’, he has been reportedly receiving threat calls from the alleged fans of the lead actor Dhruv Sarja, warning him about consequences for speaking against the movie.
On Tuesday, Chiru Bhat, a prominent journalist in Karnataka known for speaking extensively on cultural nationalism and issues concerning Hindus, had released a video pointing out the derogatory scenes against Brahmins in the recently released movie ‘Pogaru’, starring Dhruv Sarja. In the video that has gone viral now on the internet, Chiru Bhat had clearly explained how the Brahmin community has been vilified and shown in a poor light by the filmmakers.
Taking a strong objection against the vile depiction of the community, Chiru Bhat had also questioned the growing trend of propagating anti-Hindu narrative through movies in the name of creative liberty. Narrating the scenes in the movie ‘Pogaru’, Bhat had highlighted the crass comments made against Brahmins by the lead actors in the movie.
The video that was released on YouTube became an instant hit, inviting much anger against the filmmakers. Interestingly, not just members belonging to the Brahmin community but others too joined to protests against the filmmaker for objectionable depiction.
In the movie, the lead actress belongs to the Brahmin community. The scenes included one where the protagonist rushes into her house and fights with her relatives. The hero is seen making lewd comments against the Brahmin community and throwing derogatory insults. In of the scenes, the movie’s protagonist is seen keeping his foot on a priest’s shoulder.
The scenes had created a massive controversy in the state, leading to protests by the Brahmin community against the filmmakers for the slanderous depiction of the community. The community members had given a deadline to the makers to edit the scenes until Wednesday.
Fans of the lead actor threatens Chiru Bhat
As the protests gathered momentum in the state following the viral video of Chiru Bhat, the journalist is now being threatened by the so-called fans of the lead actor Dhruv Sarja, who are now abusing and issuing threats to him.
OpIndia has accessed some of those call records in which one individual Shekhar, who claims to be a fan of Dhruv Sarja, was caught abusing Chiru Bhat. In the audio, Shekhar warned Bhat of consequences for releasing a video that criticised the ‘Pogaru’ filmmakers. The journalist has released the audio clip on Twitter, saying he has been receiving continuous threat calls asking him to give live location so that they can come and “do what needs to be done”.
Attaching Youtube link of call record of a person who’s threatening me. Even now he’s calling me again and again and threatening me to give live location so that they can come and “do what needs to be done”. Just listen the way how he talks.@BlrCityPolicehttps://t.co/sSAPnWGW0W https://t.co/v6j0FGmQcQ
— Chiru Bhat | ಚಿರು ಭಟ್ (@mechirubhat) February 23, 2021
Chiru Bhat also shared images of abusive screenshots posted on various social media platforms targeting him. Some of the images shared on Facebook had even threatening texts like, “We’ll come and perform your final rights”.
Photoshopping my image like I am dead and adding texts like “We’ll come and perform your final rights” etc.
— Chiru Bhat | ಚಿರು ಭಟ್ (@mechirubhat) February 23, 2021
If a journalist like me is facing this just for opposite a anti brahmin, anti hindu movie, imagine how many Brahmins are silenced.@BlrCityPolice @CPBlr @DCPSouthBCP pic.twitter.com/fTwUoEt8ti
Bhat also said that a WhatsApp group has also been specifically created for this purpose, where fans are openly discussing killing him. He has also received voice notes allegedly by Dhruv Sarja’s fans saying, “I tried calling him, he has switched off. Guess he’s in Udupi, I’ll kill & bury him in Malpe beach”.
This time it is serious. A WhatsApp group has been created, by name “Dhruva Boys Karnataka” where fans are openly discussing about killing me by sending voice notes saying “I tried calling him, he has switched off. Guess he’s in Udupi, I’ll kill & bury him in Malpe beach” pic.twitter.com/tFqpppACfa
— Chiru Bhat | ಚಿರು ಭಟ್ (@mechirubhat) February 24, 2021
The journalist, tagging the Bengaluru police, expressed his worry saying that if a journalist like him is facing this just for opposing the hateful anti-Brahmin narratives in the movie, it can be imagined
Pejavara seer condemns the hate against Brahmins depicted in the movie
Shri Vishvaprasanna Teertha Sripada Swamiji, the holy seer of Pejavara Mutt, Udupi, has condemned the deliberate insult to the Brahmin community in the recently released Kannada movie ‘Pogaru’.
The Pejavara seer has also spoken to the authorities of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, expressing his disapproval and called for the removal of the controversial scenes from the film. The holy seer also stressed that in order to achieve a peaceful society one must not insult or share hate against communities.
Facing the heat, the filmmakers have now agreed to delete certain scenes from the movie. The decision was taken after a meeting with the Karnataka Brahmin Development Board and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce.
