Priya Prakash and viral wink: Who is fuelling the controversy?
The well-timed release of the song from an upcoming Malayalam film, Oru Adaar Love, just ahead of the Valentine’s Day made Priya Prakash Varrier a social media sensation within days.
Priya, in high school uniform, wooing and winking at her schoolmate (played by Roshan Abdul Rahoof) reminded almost everyone about their teenage crushes. Soon the 18-year-old college student and debutant actor was everywhere, from social media to TV channels.
Why this Kolaveri Di?
It did not really matter that the song in the background was in Malayalam for that one wink and the expressions on her face was enough for us north Indians, who anyway can't make out if Tamil is different from Kannada or Malayalam. Most of us might have just seen the seconds-long clip or Priya memes, and the not even the full video, forget about listening to the full song.
Only later a journalist friend from Kerala told me the “real story” behind the song as I also shared the video on social media. "Manikya Malaraya Poovi (a precious pearl flower)" is a Mappila folk song that describes the story of Prophet Muhammad's love and marriage with his first wife Khadija.
What needs to be added here is that this is not like the conventional "na’at" (poetry in praise of the Prophet and his companions) but the one that has acquired the stature of a folk song among Mappila Muslims, and is often sung in weddings.
However, there were murmurs from some quarters on social media in Kerala against the use of the song, as my journalist friend said, “The visuals caused indigestion for some.”
Let’s not forget that conservative Muslims deride films and music as "haram" (forbidden), and they would anyway have problem with free mixing of sexes and wooing.
But a large section of people seemed to have welcomed the move as my friend suggested that such moves will help mainstream “Muslim cultural symbols”.
TV debates on controversy or for controversy?
On Valentine’s Day, some deranged souls in Hyderabad, who do not even understand the Malayalam language, decided to file a complaint with the police. The fact that people in Kerala who understood the song fully well did not seem to have much issue, but a complaint was filed in Hyderabad, raises eyebrows.
From the photograph, tweeted by news agency ANI, it appears that they had nothing else to do on a holiday and so decided to go and file case and steal some limelight, just like those Bajrang Dal men who brandish lathis on innocent couples in the hope of getting quick fame. One of them was in his sleeping pajamas.
We received complaint from a few men that upcoming movie Manikya Malaraya Poovi’s viral song's lyrics is hurting sentiments of Muslims. They haven't submitted a video proof & we asked them to provide us the same. No FIR registered yet: Syed Faiyaz, ACP Falaknuma #Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/T88uBGs3kJ
— ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2018
One of the complainants, Muqeeth Khan, later told Times Now that he loved the song, which is “adorable” and liked so much that he looked for the lyrics and was shocked when he came to know the meaning of the song.
That Khan otherwise has no problems watching a girl winking at and wooing a boy and listens to songs (and perhaps also watches films, which “forbidden” in Islam) says a lot.
As if, on cue, a parody account posted a tweet showing Maulana Atif Qadri, saying, “After the viral video of Priya Prakash Varrier, whenever we or our fellow Muslim brothers closed our eyes to offer namaz, instead of Allah, her face would appear, which is hurting our sentiments, hence we issued a fatwa against her.”
Kolkata based Qadri, the vice-president of the West Bengal Minority United Council and Raza Academy, Mumbai, among others are famous for organising protests on similar issues.
The tweet was shared with indignation by many people (over 2,000 retweets by Wednesday midnight), including Republic TV promoter and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar. By evening, Aaj Tak, Times Now, CNN News, et al did prime time discussions revolving around why “clerics are scared of a wink” and the purported “hurt sentiments”.
Who are these studio-hopping clerics?
What's more, TV channels even approached the same Qadri, who naturally, said that if our Prophet and his wife have been insulted, proper action must be taken, in accordance with the law. I wonder if he had even seen/heard the song (considering that he is so "pious" and would anyway not understand Malayalam) before mediapersons approached him.
It was later reported that Raza Academy has written a letter to CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi and have asked him to block the released video. There are also reports, though unconfirmed, that the producer of the film has agreed to drop the song from the film. Interestingly, no Kerala-based organisation has either staged any protests or demanded a ban on the song even though the film is in Malayalam.
Anyhow, desperate national TV channels, both Hindi and English, have thus explained to their audience a song that most north Indians would have not even heard properly if not for the wink. They also elaborated with the help of made-for-TV-studio clerics everything that was “wrong” with the song.
Several other media channels too gave top coverage to the issue, showing way to random people that if you want to get some media attention, go file a complaint alleging “sentiments were hurt”. No Karni Sena-like protest, gherao, or even threat to anyone is now necessary to become a religious zealot or celebrity warrior.
Clerics made for studios, with dubious credentials but are regular on TV channels, announced that our Prophet cannot be insulted, some even suggesting a ban on the song. A controversy has been discussed threadbare that I am yet to notice even on social media, forget about street protests.
In fact, as the controversy started, VM Ibraheem Abdurahman, executive editor of Madhyamam Daily, wrote on his Facebook, “Who are the fools/who (are) behind the fools (to) protest against the lyrics of a good Na'at (praise poetry of prophet) written by Ustad Jabbar?”
If not for these TV channels, in a few days, people would have moved to another social media sensation. TV channels appeared too much in a hurry to debate a rage issue was not even articulated properly. Rather on the evening of Wednesday (February 14), these channels facilitated in creating the controversy.
Anti-Muslim propaganda
Clerics with half-baked knowledge of Islam and barely any understanding of politics, economics, culture and society are called for these so-called TV debates. Hardly any of them can articulate themselves properly and end up making a mockery of themselves and the community they pretend to represent.
That makes one wonder if these channels are working towards a vested agenda to show Muslims in a poor light. The media outlets seem to be targeting one community and rarely a week goes by when they do not find some topic to bash them in the garb of debating the Muslim issue.
Every night almost every news channel looks for a Maulana (preferably with topi) to demonise.. Islamophobia is eating into the core of tv journalism: am sure a pakora seller has more honour and integrity than some of us!
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) February 14, 2018
Forget that the song has any connection with the Prophet, on any day, go with a microphone to any bearded guy (who cares about his educational qualifications) and ask him if Sania Mirza should play tennis, if women should work in office, or venture out without veil, or even co-education is permissible and you will get some eye-catching headlines.
Do not be surprised if in the days to come, more cases are filed against the song across the country, or street protests are organised. But remember that the ring-master is not some bearded cleric, but those sophisticated TV anchors. Until then enjoy the beautiful song, and the even more adorable wink that's enough to strike nostalgia about high school days.