Tamils in short supply at Saifta
Action group wants answers over dearth of south-indian stars
THE Tamil Action Group has legally challenged the funders of the South Africa India Film and Television Awards (Saifta) over the lack of south-Indian stars.
In a lawyer’s letter issued by attorney Jessica Gounden on Tuesday, the group asked that the KwaZulu-Natal department of economic development explain why it agreed to fund an “exclusively north-Indian awards event that explicitly excluded a big part of the Indian community in South Africa”.
Last week, there was an outcry from local commentators who criticised both the lack of south-Indian stars and the high cost of tickets for the event.
More than 30 Indian film and television stars will attend the event at the Durban International Convention Centre on Friday.
Celebrities expected to attend include Priyanka Chopra, Diya Mizra, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Karan Johar, John Abraham, Sunil Shetty and Elli Avram.
The group also requested a copy of the contract between the department and the international organisers and said it wanted a meeting with the department and other event organisers.
The group asked on what basis funding was provided and why no South African films were nominated.
“One must take into account that Tamil actors and movies enjoy worldwide appeal and have broken dozens of records time and time again and have an excellent sales record,” the letter said.
Neither MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu nor his spokesman were prepared to respond to queries.
Saifta publicist Frances Park-Ross said the group’s objections had not fazed the organisation, which was confident that the show would go ahead as planned.
“Nothing and nobody is going to stop the awards from happening,” she said.
“It is too late now. Too much work and preparation has gone into making this event a success for us to pull out at the final moment.
“The awards ceremony is not just a glitzy Bollywood show — it is about creating jobs and promoting the city of Durban internationally. It is also an opportunity for our aspiring young artists to showcase their talent to an international market,” said Park-Ross.