Kabali ’s just been released. For those who don’t know, it’s a film starring Rajnikanth. Yes, exactly, a film. But going by the frenzy consuming Tamil Nadu, you’d think someone had offered a one-shot resolution for terrorism. Over the last few days, a popular FM station’s been holding all kinds of ridiculous competitions to give away tickets for the film in a scramble for first-day-first-show honours. Tamils of the world have united with warlike cries.

What causes this madness among fans? What does the madness say about society? It’s not normal, obsession never is, and this is obsession of the extreme kind, where nothing else matters. What’s disturbing is how even supposedly sensible people jump on the bandwagon. And it’s the same story whenever the film of a ‘superstar’ is released, at least in Tamil Nadu. It’s all stops out — but for what? To repeat: it’s only a film. No one found potable water on Mars.

Are we so bored with reality that the build-up to a film is the most important item on our agenda? Or has the level of discourse sunk so low that nothing matters any more save the stars and spangles of a superstar’s aura? The funny thing is, this superstar, any superstar, would be no one, go nowhere, without the backing of a web of people working tirelessly and efficiently behind the scenes. These are people, some of whose names roll across the screen at the end of a film, too small and too soon to register, let alone be read and remembered. They are drawn from all walks of life, sections of society, their caste, community, religion, language, skin colour, food habits making no difference. They just get on, with each other and the job, quite often with passion as you would notice if you were a fly on the wall of a production set. This is a lesson we could learn. Maybe that’s what superstars are really for.

Sandhya Rao Editorial Consultant

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