couple of years ago i dont remember, there was a very healthy debate on lot of these ...... events...but to make a film out of this....looks like all our super heros want to take up controversial subjects....
Rajinikanth to play Tiruvalluvar in Rs 50 Cr film
Superstar Rajinikanth is likely to play the role of ancient Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar in the Rs 50 Cr film titled St. Thomas being produced by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chennai-Mylapore. The film will also have actors like Ajith, Vijay and Vikram in guest appearances.
The film is to be produced in the name of St. Thomas Apostle of India Trust, which is headed by Archbishop A.M. Chinnappa and narrates the life and times of the apostle St Thomas. An important part of the film is St. Thomas's meeting with sage poet Tiruvalluvar.
The film is to be launched by the Tamilnadu Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, on Thursday. Hollywood actor James Caviezel, who played Jesus in Passion of the Christ, may act in the film as Jesus. Another Hollywood actor will play the role of St. Thomas.
Dr Paulraj Lourdusamy, the chief researcher and script-writer of this film, has three doctorates earned from various foreign universities. He spent one year in libraries across the world to find the existing literature on St. Thomas. Well-versed in French, he did the script in French first and then in English.
The script is currently being translated simultaneously into Tamil and Malayalam. The film will be made in Tamil and Malayalam first. The shoot will be conducted in Idukki and Munnar region in Kerala which still preserves the 2,000-year old bio-diversity intact.
This is really intriguing, especially, when the Pope Benedict had declared in 2006 that St Thomas never visited South India, let alone Tamizh Nadu. He said that St Thomas had visited only to the North West region of India and Christianity spread from there to South. So how could St Thomas have met Thiruvalluvar in Tamizh Nadu.
I know that my comment is stirring a hornet's nest, but I thought my question was genuine. If all feel that this would cause trouble, please delete my post. No ill feelings!!!! :-):-)
Hi I think the earliest european text mentioning thomas grave in india was marco polo 1290 ad. he made an effort to visit it so the legend must have existed before that.
by the way kalki makes a mention of christianity in his sivakaamiyin sabatham.
There is no official record either confirming or denying that Thiruvalluvar did not visit north. Till now we had conflicts between tradition and records(?). This is a new line. Sampath
I had sometime back gone through the site mentioned below and could gather that St.Thomas(or Doubting Thomas) hadnt even existed in the first place. Even his supposed visit to India and particularly south india is under controversy. It also has some letters to the Indian Express with articles well researched by some scholars. I hope i am not stirring up an hornet's nest here.
As long as we limit our discussions to the subject alone, fine. Only when personalities are invoked and names are dragged we jump into emotional diatribe.
Let us religiously stick to the topic and references. No harm in discussing the existence of St. Thomas, his visit to India, whether the churches were built destroying shiva temples etc. Discussing history and evaluating history are two different things.
I hope i am > not stirring up an hornet's nest here. > > Regards, > Mouli
Hi no hornets nest is hot to touch in PS group.
I did some searching too.
marco polo- 1292 heard of some legends in lanka about one of jesus's apostle coming here to preach. of course as early as 4th century ad we have documents linking thomas and india. marco polo claimed to have seen the tomb of the saint in a seaside village of the coramandel coast. he left its name unmentioned the portugese identified this as mylapur. hearing their words some adventurers visited the place and one writes he found a huge seaside hindu temple full of stone idols.
a recent book , i think called the tomb of jesus claims didymus- thomas is buried in the family tomb of jesus back in jerusalem.
hence chances seem remote. but the other oldest resident of mylapore is valluvar and so the cinema script writer jumped over eras, leapt over inconsistencies and made the two meet.