As the Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration issue was blowing over, cinema stars, and YouTubers alike went overboard with their mocking of the issue when allegations were made that the ghee could have been adulterated with beef tallow, lard, and fish oil. These allegations are being debunked now.

During a pre-release event for the film Sathyam Sundaram (titled Meiyazhagan in Tamil), Kollywood actor Karthi found himself embroiled in controversy after a meme referencing the Laddu issue was shown at the event. The incident began when the anchor referring to a meme from his Tamil film, asked him, “Do you want Laddu?”

Attempting to distance himself from the controversy, Karthi responded, “We should not talk about Laddu now. It is a sensitive topic. I don’t want it.” His remarks, intended to shift the conversation, quickly went viral and caught the attention of actor and politician Pawan Kalyan.

Visibly upset by Karthi’s comment, Pawan Kalyan addressed the issue during a media briefing in Vijayawada. He remarked, “People are making fun of laddoo. I saw at a cinema function where it was said that laddoo is a sensitive topic. Don’t you ever dare to say that? I respect you as actors, but when it comes to Sanatana Dharma, you have to think a hundred times before saying a word.”

Many supported Karthi for being “sensible” and trying to stay away from the topic. But many felt otherwise. As a netizen rightly puts it, it is the tone and tenor that Karthi uses that makes him not want to talk about the issue an issue. The netizen wrote on his X handle, “1. The anchor baits Karthi with a sensitive question 2. Karthi tries to deflect with a politically correct comment “it’s a sensitive topic” 3. He gets brutally called out by Pawan Kalyan 4. Karthi apologizes People wonder what’s wrong ” it’s a sensitive topic”.  Answer: the tone and tenor You can say the same words with different Intonation and the meaning will completely change. If you are laughing while claiming something is a sensitive topic, it can be construed as insensitive. People hear it as “Some people think this topic is sensitive, but I don’t give a shit about their beliefs even when they are the victims” For an actor whose full time job is to evoke emotions in the audience with intonation and facial expressions, Karthi s faux pas is tone deaf. But did he mean malice? Probably not. Nothing in his past suggests it. So what explains his flippant remark? Had Karthi openly mocked the issue in Tamilnadu for shits and giggles, he would have even gotten from brownie points from the Dravidian supporters. Even in TN, the film stars, like the politicians, can only afford to be selectively tone deaf. If the aggrieved party were to be from some other religion or even a dominant section of Hindus, they wouldn’t dare to laugh. Karthi has grown up in a state where Hindu beliefs, especially if it involves a particular community, are fair game for mockery. In TN, his response would have been perfect -sounds neutral, provides plausible deniability should someone dare to question. Unfortunately for him, it was not TN .”

Had he mustered up courage and straight away told the host/anchor that he was not ready to make fun of something very close to Hindus all across the globe, he would have been praised by Hindus themselves.

However, he chose to say “I do not want laddu.” indicating, he did not want to comment on the issue and generate controversy.

Another film star, Rajinikanth, who was questioned by news reporters recently also maintained silence and said “No comments” when asked about his opinion on the Tirupati Laddu controversy.

For all the talk that actors do about spirituality, none of them have the spine to speak the truth and be open about their views especially when it comes to Hindu Dharma.

It was gladdening for Hindus across the board to hear Pawan Kalyan say what he did – whether it was for brownie points or show, it doesn’t matter. We Hindus have come to a stage where we need people to speak up for us, for Hindu Dharma. If we fail to do it, we will perish. We need many more like Pawan Kalyan and if celebrities do not shy away from being openly Hindu, it will help them as it will help the entire Hindu samaj.