Ameer has said that the ban on Jallikattu is indicative of the disrespect with which TN is treated by the Central Government.
“The ban on Jallikattu is a direct indication that Tamil Nadu’s feelings and views on the matter are not considered. When TN and its people think that Jallikattu must be held, to impose and uphold the ban is like stamping on the feelings of the Tamil people. When they grant so much importance to an organisation like PETA, they should accord equal significance to the feelings of the Tamil people. What does this disparity say about how the centre treats us?”
Ameer also accused the Central Government of disrespecting Tamil Nadu. “From the events that have happened since the passing of Selvi Jayalalithaa, we have all been made to feel like the Central Government does not treat Tamil Nadu with any dignity or respect. They don’t think highly of our state or our people. That much is obvious.”
He also criticised the celebrities who have voiced their support for Jallikattu, only after it became a popular issue. “I have been fighting for this cause for a long time. But in recent times we can see people who want to become popular through this. They are just using this as a way to get more famous.”
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The director feels that the only way to remedy the situation is by organising mass protests. “That’s the only way people will listen to us. Talks and all will do no good. It is time to fight.”
The director hopes to glorify the sport in his upcoming film, Sandhanadevan. When questioned about the upper-caste influence in the film’s title, Ameer said, “My film is not going to glorify one caste over another. I believe in a secular world, in which talent must be the determining factor. So the title is just a name, and not anything else.”
The film has Arya in the lead role, and will go on floors shortly.