'Fans steal packets': TN Milk Dealers body seeks ban on paal abhishekam for cut-outs

The Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers Welfare Association (TNMDWA), in a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, is seeking for a permanent ban on the practice of celebrating the release of big star films with paal abishekams (pouring of milk) on their giant cut-outs and banners.

The paal abishekam is a phenomenon in the south, especially in Tamil Nadu, where in an overt expression of star worship, fans pour litres of milk on giant cut-outs and flex banners of their star’s film posters. The more grand this display, the more powerful the star is supposed to be. The paal abishekam is a common occurrence during first-day-first-shows of big stars in theatres. The tradition stems from the religious practice of pouring milk over deities in temples.

Condemning this practice, TNMDWA members allege that fans tend to steal milk packets from milk dealers during such celebrations, thereby affecting the dealer’s livelihood. They have also requested for police protection outside milk dealers’ shops and milk distribution centres on the day of the film’s release to avoid such mishaps.

Their request comes following actor Simbu’s video where he’s heard asking his fans to celebrate the release of his upcoming film, Vantha Rajavathaan Varuven, like never before, urging them to pour cauldrons of milk over his cut-outs.

This is in contrast to another video he'd released where he'd made an entirely different request.

While in one he had asked his fans not to celebrate the release of his next film, Vantha Rajavathaan Varuven, but instead buy something meaningful for their family members, in the other that was posted a few days later, Simbu asked his fans to celebrate the release like never before, asking them to pour cauldrons of milk over his cut-outs.

This U-turn was allegedly brought on by a few who had mocked the star and his “very small” fan-base.   

In the letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, the TNMDWA has requested for action to be taken against the actor whose videos, they fear, might result in law and order problems. “By instigating his fans to celebrate in this manner, Simbu’s request might aggravate other stars’ fans, thereby resulting in a clash between factions,” reads their letter.

Simbu’s Vantha Rajavathaan Varuven is gearing up for release on February 1, a few days ahead of the star’s birthday. It was originally slated for a Pongal release and the film would have clashed with Rajinikanth’s Petta and Ajith’s Viswasam.

Also starring Catherine Tresa, Megha Akash, Prabhu, Ramya Krishnan, Nasser, VTV Ganesh, ‘Motta’ Rajendran, Robo Shankar, and Yogi Babu, the film has been directed by Sundar C and is bankrolled by A Subhashkaran’s Lyca Productions.