REPORTER’S DIARY: Why do we ask them anything?

CHENNAI: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, who turned 68 on Monday, refused to answer political questions raised by reporters at his birthday celebration organised by Makkal Needhi Maiam office bearers.

Haasan, who always proudly proclaims the way he changed his fan clubs into welfare organisations decades ago, wanted to list out their welfare activities undertaken for his birthday. When a reporter tried to ask a political question, he refused to answer it saying that it was not a press meet.

“I came here to speak about welfare activities, not politics. They (supporters) have come here to celebrate my birthday not by merely cutting a cake but to do good things. It’s a stage to highlight their good things,” he added.

Haasan has been keeping away from politics after the State assembly polls in 2021 where his party lost all the seats. Though he asserted that he’d quit politics, he has been keeping himself busy with film shooting. Soon after the box-office success of Vikram, he began shooting for Indian 2. Now, he’ll be joining hands with director Mani Ratnam for his next movie.

Not only Haasan, many politicians like BJP state president K Annamalai prefer answering questions that suit their agenda. Annamalai who tweeted about media freedom when Electricity and Excise and Prohibition Minister V Senthilbalaji threatened to sue over Tasmac’s Deepavali sales, called media persons ‘monkeys’ when they tried to ask a question.

— G Jagannath, Chennai