Written & Edited By : Aditi Mishra
21 August 2023 ( New Delhi ) : Prakash Raj, a National Award-winning actor, frequently finds himself at the center of controversy when he speaks out against the government and the incompetent Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And on August 20, a day before the ISRO’s Chandrayaan 3 mission was scheduled to land on the moon on August 23, the actor published another contentious tweet.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), Prakash Raj posted a cartoon showing a brown man pouring tea into both of his cups while donning a lungi. He captioned the cartoon, “BREAKING NEWS:- First picture coming from the Moon by #VikramLander.” I’m just asking, wow. The actor was criticized by online users, who urged him to separate ISRO from his opposition to the government.
“The problem with hate is that once you start to hate someone, your hatred eventually grows so strong that you start to hate everyone,” one online user retorted. You failed to distinguish between person, ideology, and national accomplishment. It all appears to be the same! It’s sad to watch such a gifted actor acting in such a way.
“Prakash ji, the ISRO, not the BJP, is behind this Chandryan expedition. If it succeeds, India will benefit, not any particular party. Why would you like for this mission to fail? Just a reigning party, BJP. One day, it’ll disappear. However, ISRO will continue to exist and will continue to honor us. You’re overlooking fundamental nationalism in your quest for the facts. India’s defeat shouldn’t be viewed as a victory. Another remark said, “Keep ISRO away from this political hatred.”
However, some online users came out in favor of the actor, pointing out that Keralans have always made fun of the Malayalis’ ubiquity. One X user defended Raj by tweeting, “Why is it so hard for folks to get a joke. There is a running joke that claims Neil Armstrong saw a Malaysian man serving chai on the moon and asked if anyone needed a chai. It’s time to declare that Malayalis live everywhere. India has lost its sense of humor.
“This is a perfect illustration of the differences between the South and the North. The majority of South Indians will comprehend this image. Another comment stated, “It’s a funny way of mocking a Malayali about them going anyplace in the world before the rest of Indians. This year, Prakash Raj appeared in a number of blockbusters, including Ponniyin Selvan 2 by Mani Ratnam, Waltair Veerayya by Chiranjeevi, and Varisu by Thalapathy Vijay.
