In Verse: Vikram Ramanarayanan on playing Mahadevappa

Vikram Ramanarayan

The Deluded Crusader

His story's one like many before him,

Wrongs he wants to right

Striking naysayers in his vim

To them he takes the fight!

Bastion of dharma he is he thinks

Tradition's guardian true,

But alas, in upholding this he sinks

Right into adharma's glue

"Women should stay at home you see

And men should walk about,

For that is how 'twas meant to be"

This he will rant and shout.

True Hindus must now take up arms

Against the infidels

And teach them soundly without qualms

These lessons that he tells

Does he realize that he doth cross

That oft-unnoticed line?

No, this stone's gathered so much moss

That he'll always decline

For he was raised to think that way

Unfortunately so, 

So who's at fault when he does sway

Right into Satan's tow?

To him the scriptures are supreme

He'll swear by them always

But ask him what they truly scream

And his confidence frays.

The thing about a zealot, see

Is sometimes he is blind

To critical reason that may free

Him from this terrible bind.

- Vikram Ramanarayanan