Police in Tamil Nadu are asked to stop the anointments as they say milk is being stolen

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Milk dealers in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu are asking police to stop movie fans splashing milk on posters and cutouts of their idols.

The dealers say the practice, in imitation of the way milk is sometimes poured over effigies of Hindu gods during rituals, encourages theft.

The practice of paal abhishekam (anointing with milk) posters and cardboard cutouts of the actors is done in the lead-up to a blockbuster release in the hope that it will become a hit.

Latest film from superstar actor Rajinikanth sends India into a frenzy Read more

It has been discouraged by some actors, but this week the Tamil star Silambarasan Thesingu Rajendar, also known as Simbu, posted a video on social media telling fans to “celebrate my movie release like never before by erecting huge banners and cutouts and pouring pots of milk”.

The video prompted a police complaint from the Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers Employees Welfare Association, whose president told the Guardian that the practice should be banned immediately.

“In Tamil Nadu, 20% of people are not able to access milk and there are a lot of children in the streets without milk,” SA Ponnusamy said. “We are as a nation saying we need more milk for children, not cutouts.”

He estimated that more than 15,000 gallons of milk could be wasted each day by being poured over posters and billboards after a big film release.

He said people delivering milk early in the morning were routinely being rushed by groups of youths who ran off with two or three boxes of milk each.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Children carry pots of milk during a religious procession for the Panguni Uthiram festival in Chennai. Photograph: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty

“We’d prefer the youth be encouraged to do things like signing up to be organ donors or planting trees,” Ponnusamy said. “All the heroes have to motivate their youth in this direction.”

In October a Simbu fan attached himself to a crane so he could be lifted high enough to pour milk over a billboard of the actor.

STR 360° (@STR_360) And that's why we call it a festival 🎆 #ETHIDiwali

The way we celebrate him beyond boundaries!!! #STRFans #Simbu #ETHIFestival#ChekkaChivanthaVaanam #CCVBlockbuster @MadrasTalkies_ @LycaProductions @aditi1231 pic.twitter.com/ZqOophmM65

In a country obsessed with cinema, the adoration shown to actors in the Tamil film industry, or Kollywood, might exceed all others.

The 2016 release of the film Kabali, starring the Tamil actor Rajinikanth, prompted such a frenzy that many companies gave their employees a day off.

A aeroplane decorated with Rajinikanth’s face was flown from Bangalore to Chennai, serving Rajinikanth’s favourite food on board, to bring 100 fans to a “first day, first show” screening. Tens of thousands of gallons of milk were spilled on his posters.