The other day, Tamil actor R Prathiban stated that he belongs to the Naidu caste group. Since he is a prominent Kollywood actor, his public remarks at the pre-release event of Ustaad Bhagat Singh have drawn a diverse set of reactions. "Hiding the caste here in Tamil Nadu and flaunting it in other states. What progressiveness are we talking about? Parthiban could have simply said that he is a Telugu born in Tamil Nadu," wrote journalist Rajasekar.
This framing gives the impression that Telugus are caste-obsessed, while Tamils are not. "The Dravidianists say they removed caste in Tamil Nadu but they themselves practice only discrimination and hatred," an X user wrote.
Parthiban, as per some, has his reasons to publicly claim his caste identity. "I don't see anything wrong in what Parthiepan said. He just shared that he is a Naidu, a fact. He got his break in movies from Bhagyaraj, another Naidu. His daughter is married into an influential Naidu family in the film world. Being open about his identity is only appropriate gratitude for the social capital his caste gives him. He can tell Telugu people in AP/Telangana that he is a Naidu without having to be apologetic," argued Suren.
Tamil Labs reminded his followers that many Telugus have mastered Tamil. He wrote, "Telugus in Tamil Nadu don't just learn Tamil, but master it. Parthiban plays with words, Baagiyaraj writes dialogues, Vaiko delivers fierce speeches for Tamil causes, SPB sings like heaven with perfect Tamil pronunciations. They have assimilated so well, and with the dropping of surnames gimmick, nobody knows their linguistic identity unless they cross Gummidipoondi and reveal it themselves."
