The Day Robin Hood Kidnapped John Wayne

by Janak Ramachandran/ PNN Community Journalist

On April 12, 2006, the man some have dubbed the John Wayne of South Indian cinema passed away. Rajkumar, whose given name is Muttaraj, was born April 24, 1929 in the small remote village town of Gajanur. Proud fellow villagers boast of the boy from the village, born in a dilapidated hut on the side of a dusty road, who grew to become a superstar. Encouraged by the example of his father, who was a dramatist, Muttaraj joined his father’s troupe, where he learned his initial skills as an actor and singer. He entered the film industry at a young age and, as Rajkumar (meaning Prince), starred in his first ‘big break’ film in 1954. Considered one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema and with over 200 films to his credit, his character depictions ran the gamut from drama to action to comedy to romance and he had a penchant for choosing films with social messages addressing societal evils. Also an accomplished singer, Rajkumar won a national award for one of the many songs he sang in his films.

But fate had more in store for the self-titled Prince. Less than ten years back, Rajkumar decided he wanted to live the remainder of his life with his fellow villagers in Gajanur. Lauded not only for his superstar status but also for a personality given to simplicity, generosity, kind-heartedness, and peace-loving ways, his fellow denizens were happy to welcome him home. But, as India’s John Wayne returned to the new house built across the road from the hut where he was born, he was paid an uninvited visit by the man many of the villagers in the area praise as a modern day Robin Hood. Veerapan, known for sandalwood smuggling and poaching and hailing from the same village as Rajkumar, reportedly conveyed to Rajkumar’s wife, Parvathamma, “Please do not worry. We assure you we will never harm Rajkumar but we have some serious demands (of the government). We are compelled to use these means to make ourselves heard.” Veerapan then kidnapped Rajkumar.

When the state police chief was asked about the Robin Hood image of Veerapan and if the locals see him as a criminal, he retorted candidly, “…he is seen as a do-gooder. He helps the locals by paying for their marriages, renovating temples, helping poor people, getting a poor widow a square meal, and so on…” In the same breath, he continued that, “Everybody is afraid of him.” Since the villagers see themselves as aided by Veerapan’s actions, it seems unlikely that the ‘Everybody’ to which the state police chief refers includes them. More likely he means the wealthier interests and their governmental comrades who send the police to enforce those interests. Indeed, Veerapan has supposedly killed a number of police and other government officials in his pursuit of justice. In addition to his political motives on behalf of the poor in his area, Veerapan may be motivated by personal experience. His brother and sister both died in police custody.

So the day that Robin Hood kidnapped John Wayne, all of South India came to a standstill: neighborhood shops closed, distraught fans worried, and Bangalore, the heart of India’s Silicon Valley, ground to a halt for several days. After 108 days in captivity, Rajkumar was released by Veerapan when he was assured through negotiations that atrocities committed by government police and its Special Task Forces would be pursued and that efforts would be made to release those innocents detained under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act. One of the negotiators for the team that included human rights activists and journalists opined, “Everybody knows how Veerapan became a big problem…the socio-economic factors played a major role in his rise.” Of the crimes attributed to Veerapan, he added, “Why do you accuse Veerapan alone? The guilty are living happily in our society. Why do you pardon them? What we want first is action against all those who…have committed atrocities on the poor villagers.” Detailing the evidence of 90 people in jail without access to trial, 60 women subjected to sexual assault, and more than 300 men handicapped by police torture, he called for action against those responsible in the government and concluded, “Action against Veerapan can be taken after that.”

For his part, Rajkumar, on his release, reported, “Veerapan did not harass me.” And in an earlier message, he declared, “I am being taken care of with great love and they are behaving with great trust.” When referencing that Veerapan and his group have a point of view, with which he agreed in many ways, Rajkumar stated, “There is actually much that we have to learn from them. Having lived with them like an elder brother to younger brothers, I have had a lot of opportunities to…understand them well. It’s my fate that I was abducted by Veerapan.”

And so it was that Robin Hood and John Wayne became brothers. Two men from the same village with very different life paths yet with a common devotion to the local poor who protected them. For those curious, Robin Hood Veerapan was eventually found dead with a bullet in his head—the police story of how he was captured and killed appears to contradict the circumstances of his death—and the evidence of the possibly execution style bullet in his head would not have been found had the police not been stopped from prematurely cremating his body. In any case, both Rajkumar and Veerapan are no longer with us. The question remains though, ‘Are we with them?’ Are we committed to a world where a rich success can meet a poor bandit and see his brother…his sister? If so, perhaps Robin Hood and John Wayne together can topple the King.