Kamal Haasan. (PTI)

Kamal Haasan loves to be in controversies. But attacking Draupadi as being a pawn is against the dignity of Indian women. In an acerbic interview to a regional channel he said that the country reads a book in which a woman (referring to Draupadi) was used as a pawn and was gambled away.This is a direct dig and obviously cannot be taken lightly.

While the actor’s large fan base has been widely appreciative of his pro-activeness on social media, the latest one is not acceptable. Even though some would say that we have freedom of speech in this country, we cannot abuse our freedom. We need to exercise the freedom with responsibility. The comment is unwarranted as it relates to a mythological figure that many Hindus have respect for. Kamal Hasan has forgotten the context and the times in which Draupadi lived. Mahabharata is one of the most time-tested epics in the world, it is modern in its context. Not that Kamal Haasan talking against it will take away the credit that Mahabharata has but should the actor be pronouncing such judgments in the first place?

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A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed against Haasan in the Tirunelveli district court by Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) for hurting the sentiments of Hindus. Earlier, police had also lodged a complaint against Haasan by Hindu Makkal Katchi on March 15 at the Chennai City Police Commissionerate for his alleged derogatory remarks about Mahabharata.

(An earlier version of this article erroneously identified Kamal Haasan as a Muslim. We have rectified the inaccuracy. The error is deeply regretted.)