[QUOTE=Dervorin]
several of them get into politics when their screen time is coming to an end, and win elections purely on account of their earlier popularity, with no regard to their adminstrative abilities or indeed policies.
[/QUOTE]
This phenomenon is not unique to India 
[QUOTE=Dervorin]
In south India, patriotism towards one’s home state is almost more important than patriotism towards the country itself, and that elevated Rajkumar to dizzying heights. He was known to everyone, his films were invariably enormous hits; and I think he was one of the most prominent symbols of Kannada pride, the darling of the masses, with fans that numbered in the millions.
[/QUOTE]
Apparently connected to this patriotism (and the supposed undermining of values by the American presence in Bangalore), a number of vendors working for American companies were vandalized because they did not close in honor of Rajkumar’s death. My partner does training in Bangalore for one of these vendors, and she reported how the business closed all the blinds, turned off the lights, and moved all the cars from the parking lot, so it would look like they were closed. Everyone was later driven home under cover of darkness, and she was told to stay in her hotel until further notice (which ended up being only one day, and everything is fine now). But it was an unnerving situation.
[QUOTE=HPL]
That’s even more stupid and lame then people rioting over a sporting event.
[/QUOTE]
And almost as stupid as people rioting over cartoons of a religious figure.
[QUOTE=rivulus]
a number of vendors working for American companies were vandalized because they did not close in honor of Rajkumar’s death.
[/QUOTE]
It is fairly routine in India that when a particular group is on the streets, protesting, celebrating, mourning, etc., that they will take offence to businesses that stay open. It’s taken as a sign of disrespect. In Calcutta, where labour is king, if the unions call a general strike (“bund”), which happens several times a year, then any business that stays open (“in violation of the strike”) will be forcefully closed (if they’re lucky) or ransacked, vandalised, or destroyed (if they’re not). During religious occasions, there will be attacks on those who do not show respect for the occasion (such as Muslim butchers engaging in “cow killing” during Hindu occasions or Hindus herding pigs close to mosques on Muslim occasions).
[QUOTE=Dervorin]
It is certainly true that film stars are deeply revered, and become immensely influential; several of them get into politics when their screen time is coming to an end, and win elections purely on account of their earlier popularity, with no regard to their adminstrative abilities or indeed policies.
[/QUOTE]
As a Californian, I find this shocking and frightening.
Yes, the small company I work for has its HQ in NYC, most of its staff in Newfoundland and Connecticut–and a ten-person branch office in Bangalore. At the daily tech meeting on Thursday, the guys in Canada and CT were working out the schedule to cover the Bangalore office, which had to be evacuated. We wondered why and heard, “a movie star died”. OK.
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=]
As a Californian, I find this shocking and frightening.
[/QUOTE]
Ha!
I have a great friend who is in Bangalore, and she is interning at the Baptist hospital there. She describes her hospital as a “compound,” and I’m glad that it is.