“Dravidian Stock Tamil Cinema Reviewer Kalilur Rahman Attacks Sanatana Dharma In His “Roast” Of Balayya’s Akhanda 2”, The Commune, december 25, 2025

“Tamil film reviewer Kalilur Rahman has sparked controversy after launching a sharp religious attack on Sanatana Dharma while reviewing the recently released Telugu film Akhanda 2: Thaandavam, branding his commentary as a “Sanatana Sanghi Roast.”

In his review, Rahman alleged that the film was deliberately constructed to appeal to North Indian audiences by embedding what he described as overt Hindutva symbolism throughout its narrative. He claimed that references to cows, Sanatana Dharma, and national political imagery were inserted repeatedly “across the entire running length of the film, like a pickle one keeps dipping into.”

Referring to specific scenes, Rahman said that cows appeared prominently throughout the film, including a sequence where the Prime Minister is shown caressing a cow. He further pointed to scenes in the protagonist’s household where a cow is treated “like a member of the family,” receiving affection and reverence. According to him, the film “proudly talks about Sanatana Dharma” but selectively avoids discussing what he characterised as its hierarchical elements……”

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