Dalit leader and Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani will soon be appearing in film director Pa. Ranjith’s next Tamil movie. Impressed by Mevani’s fight for Dalit rights, Ranjith, who is busy wrapping up the dubbing of his movie Kaala, starring Rajnikath, said that the MLA from Vadgam will play a role “which suits his persona”. “I met him (Mevani) on Pongal (January 14) when he was visiting Chennai. I will be offering him a cameo role in my next movie as it was wonderful meeting a young leader like him. We spoke about various issues including Dalit rights and the ongoing movement,” Ranjith told The Indian Express over phone. Mevani is also excited about acting in a movie directed by Ranjith, who is known for challenging the status quo through his films. “I am very excited about the idea of doing a cameo in his movie. I brought up the topic and even Ranjith approved it. I was honoured to celebrate Pongal with the director. He is one of the most humble persons I have known.” After meeting Mevani a fortnight ago, Ranjith had tweeted: “An unexpected lovely moment. Meeting with Comrade @jigneshmevani80.Thanks for coming all the way home. All the best for your work & my solidarity. Keep doing what you are doing. Much respect.” Ranjith, who became famous for his movie “Kabali” starring Rajnikanth, had tackled the issue of caste and representation of Dalits and their lifestyle in his directorial debut “Madras”. In the opening sequence of “Kabali”, he had shown Rajnikanth reading ‘My Father Baliah’, a memoir by Dalit thinker Y B Satyanarayana on Dalit lives in pre and post-Independent India and their yearning for education. “I believe in art as a movement, and my movies also reflect the same. I wanted to come to Una for taking part in the movement against the flogging of Dalit youths (allegedly by gau rakhshaks), and was following the details of the agitation. But I could not make it as I was tied up with work,” said Ranjith. Earlier this year, Ranjith put together a 19-member band called ‘Casteless Collective’ which put together songs on issues like reservation, manual scavenging, annihilation of caste and agrarian crisis. “I see a lot of frustration among the youngsters, but a lack of political awareness in them. I want to use various mediums to engage them in such an awareness. Connecting people involved in various movements is important and art does that very well,” Ranjith added.
