When Arya jokingly asked a fan “What is Jallikattu”, he probably had no idea he was signing up for a Twitter backlash after upsetting even his own fans. A week later, he is still being trolled and scolded for it. So much so that after ignoring the comments for a while, then posting a clarification on Twitter, Arya has now explicitly told the media that he supports the sport, understands why it is a “debatable topic”, and that his tweet has been “misinterpreted”. Arya had originally tweeted:
What is #Jallikattu ?????? https://t.co/TE15vMM1kT
— Arya (@arya_offl) December 22, 2016
In response, memes and troll posts appeared on Twitter, with many saying he had no right to make fun of such a serious issue.
The sport is followed by Tamilians across the world. The actor had initially ignored all the potshots taken at him.
@arya_offl இந்த படத்தில் உள்ள subtitle படிக்கவும் ப்ரோ??? pic.twitter.com/nohC4h5jof
— Ajithfacts (@thalafacts) December 23, 2016
@India777Navin Mr HipHop is a pure hipocrite. He eats meat, uses cow leather car interiors & wears leather jackets. ?
— Nathan Ⓥॐ (@niranimal) December 23, 2016
When the backlash did not subside, Arya tweeted a tongue-in-cheek thank you for all the “polite” comments. He also said that his tweet had been “misinterpreted”. He wrote:
Thx u so much 4 askin fr clarification politely. I do support #jallikattu it's sad that they misinterpreted my tweet completely no worries https://t.co/XCDfZIWmh2
— Arya (@arya_offl) December 24, 2016
While many fans of the Arindhum Ariyamalum star have clearly been upset by Arya’s seeming lack of seriousness on what is a major issue of Tamil pride for many, the fact that Arya made the comment in good humour appears to have been entirely overlooked. The subject is a touchy issue for many, and Arya won’t be the first Kollywood star facing flak for not seriously supporting the sport.
Arya has now told the Deccan Chronicle, “[T]he person only took part of my replies and misinterpreted my tweet. As a sports person, I do support Jallikattu but it is a debatable topic — the Censor Board and Animal Welfare Board don’t allow us to shoot such scenes. They have certain restrictions and the government is dealing with it. It is beyond my control and I have to oblige to certain things,”
Arya made a niche for himself in the Tamil industry despite hailing from the neighboring state of Kerala. Fans and followers appear disappointed that he could make a joke about something important to their culture.
Did Arya have the right to joke about Jallikattu on his official social media account? One could argue that actors too are regular people who might want to joke around once in a while. But while social media gives them the opportunity to directly interact with fans, it also creates unwanted public scrutiny and analysis over every small comment.
No wonder then that many celebrities are extremely conscious of everything they say, and keep a stoic distance from social media.
