We have seen Dr.
Rajkumar's reaction to the unreasonable behaviour of the strident members of his fans' club.
Even at that late stage, if only the actor had even as much as mildly chided the leaders of the fan-club for taking law into their own hands, he would have gone up in the esteem of many right-thinking people.
Instead he asked the poor scribe however softly, "Why do you write things like that in your paper that tends to hurt the feelings of so many of my followers? You know these followers of mine? They are Gods!" In fact this episode bore all those ominous signs of intolerance and that of a burgeoning Frankenstein (fans' club) that ought to have put a sensitive administration on caution.
Fearful of the backlash the Print-media also developed cold feet and hesitated to publish free and frank views expressed by discerning few on the subject.
Sometime later 80-Feet Road, Rajajinagar was renamed as Dr.
Rajkumar Road bowing to the wishes of the artiste's countless fans and deservedly so.
Some shops of course were quick to have change in name of the road incorporated on their respective boards.
If the others did not show matching enthusiasm in this regard is it such a serious crime? One fine morning members of the artiste's fans' club got hyper-active and started forcibly pulling down boards of all the 'defaulting shops' according to them.
And predictably the police present on the scene stood motionless.
They were there only to play the role of mute spectators!(?) Once again Dr.
Rajkumar was conspicuous by his silence on the subject.
In fact the print-media too did not find it necessary to approach Dr.
Rajkumar for his reaction if any.
Conclusion: On countless occasions members of Fans' Clubs of various Film heroes have gone berserk and damaged private as also public properties causing untold misery and financial losses to public property as also that of individuals.
If the heroes of the celluloid world are unable to control leaders of their fans clubs they should at least refrain from supporting them directly/indirectly.
When total population of India was just around 330 Million we had as many Gods worthy of worship in the Indian Pantheon.
If we Indians have gained notoriety for being Idol-worshipers so be it.
This has always been our stand.
When it comes to Gods we firmly believe in the principle, 'The more...
the merrier' But when hand-picked icons in flesh & blood are raised to the status of being held worthy of worship the situation is vastly different.
As they grow in stature their individual ego too grows; at times into a problem.
Their supporters too having learnt a trick or two grow as 'power-centers' in their own right, if what has happened here in Karnataka is any evidence.
In the larger interest therefore when it comes to Icons in Flesh & Blood it would be the other way round.
'The fewer...
the better '
Rajkumar's reaction to the unreasonable behaviour of the strident members of his fans' club.
Even at that late stage, if only the actor had even as much as mildly chided the leaders of the fan-club for taking law into their own hands, he would have gone up in the esteem of many right-thinking people.
Instead he asked the poor scribe however softly, "Why do you write things like that in your paper that tends to hurt the feelings of so many of my followers? You know these followers of mine? They are Gods!" In fact this episode bore all those ominous signs of intolerance and that of a burgeoning Frankenstein (fans' club) that ought to have put a sensitive administration on caution.
Fearful of the backlash the Print-media also developed cold feet and hesitated to publish free and frank views expressed by discerning few on the subject.
Sometime later 80-Feet Road, Rajajinagar was renamed as Dr.
Rajkumar Road bowing to the wishes of the artiste's countless fans and deservedly so.
Some shops of course were quick to have change in name of the road incorporated on their respective boards.
If the others did not show matching enthusiasm in this regard is it such a serious crime? One fine morning members of the artiste's fans' club got hyper-active and started forcibly pulling down boards of all the 'defaulting shops' according to them.
And predictably the police present on the scene stood motionless.
They were there only to play the role of mute spectators!(?) Once again Dr.
Rajkumar was conspicuous by his silence on the subject.
In fact the print-media too did not find it necessary to approach Dr.
Rajkumar for his reaction if any.
Conclusion: On countless occasions members of Fans' Clubs of various Film heroes have gone berserk and damaged private as also public properties causing untold misery and financial losses to public property as also that of individuals.
If the heroes of the celluloid world are unable to control leaders of their fans clubs they should at least refrain from supporting them directly/indirectly.
When total population of India was just around 330 Million we had as many Gods worthy of worship in the Indian Pantheon.
If we Indians have gained notoriety for being Idol-worshipers so be it.
This has always been our stand.
When it comes to Gods we firmly believe in the principle, 'The more...
the merrier' But when hand-picked icons in flesh & blood are raised to the status of being held worthy of worship the situation is vastly different.
As they grow in stature their individual ego too grows; at times into a problem.
Their supporters too having learnt a trick or two grow as 'power-centers' in their own right, if what has happened here in Karnataka is any evidence.
In the larger interest therefore when it comes to Icons in Flesh & Blood it would be the other way round.
'The fewer...
the better '
Source...