Dravidianist leftist director TJ Gnanavel, known for promoting narratives and prejudices that hurt the sentiments of the Brahmins and Vanniyar communities with distorted facts in his films, has recently blamed the failure of his latest movie ‘Vettaiyan’ hashtags trending on social media. Rather than taking responsibility for the criticism, he conveniently pushed the reviewers to the front to defend him, which is shameful for someone claiming to fight for justice in cinema.
In a recent interview with a private media channel, Gnanavel claimed that the opinions formed before the movie’s release led to its failure, suggesting that it would have been successful otherwise. However, this is far from the truth—no one, not even the general public, appreciated the film, as it was filled with fake information that a simple Google search would easily debunk. Yet, he chose to hide behind excuses and sought the reviewers to defend both him and his ideological stance.
In the interview, TJ Gnanavel stated, “If the movie ‘Vettaiyan’ releases overseas, a hashtag like ‘disaster’ came beforehand. Now, everyone’s accustomed to watch reviews through social media. Today, we have cultivated watching opinions. On the first day, when you go in with the mindset of it being a ‘disaster,’ it takes about two days to change. That shift happened only after audiences went in, watched it, and said they liked it. Since it’s a big-budget movie, able to sustain for two to five days. If it were a smaller-budget film, two days would be a very big time zone—once an opinion is formed, it will not have the strength to change because of fewer theatres, fewer screenings, and other practical challenges. They don’t take anyone these into considerations,” He then added, “I see this situation like giving ‘Kalli paal’ (infanticide). We’ve all heard the saying in childhood, “Give ‘Kalli paal’ if a girl child is born.” Similarly, a situation has arisen where if someone you dislike is involved in a movie; acted or directed give ‘Kalli paal’.”
Instead of addressing the issue and taking responsibility himself, he abruptly shifted the blame to the reviewers and commentators, criticizing them for not taking collective responsibility. He stated, “My question is, don’t the reviewers have any opinions on the hashtags that were circulating before the movie release? Shouldn’t they talk about that? The movie hasn’t even released yet, so why did this (hashtag) appear? I feel there’s a lack of collective responsibility here. Instead of constructive criticism, there seems to be a growing intention to attack them. I believe there are various reasons behind this, such as ideological ones. Suppose if we take the opposition ideologists who oppose what I speak are like an army on social media, they will speak out against me because of the ideology. I’m expecting a balance here, especially from the reviewers.”
Contradictory to Dravidianist leftist director TJ Gnanavel, the film Vettaiyan had a strong opening, earning ₹31.7 crore on its first day, followed by ₹24 crore on the second day and ₹26.75 crore on the third. However, it experienced a downturn during the weekdays, bringing in ₹5.6 crore on the first Monday, dropping to ₹4.3 crore on Tuesday and Wednesday. While the film’s crew attributes its poor performance to mixed reviews, higher earnings were anticipated at this stage. Unfortunately, the movie lacked substance, with subpar music being a major factor in its failure.
Hashtags Not The Reason For Failure
Vettaiyan, starring Rajinikanth, opened with a tribute to Thomas Babington Macaulay, setting a controversial tone right from the start. While the film aimed to tackle serious issues like drug abuse in government schools, it quickly devolved into a series of absurd scenarios that felt more like propaganda than genuine storytelling.
The film’s narrative introduced a series of implausible events, such as a petty thief making millions through fake QR codes, which raises unnecessary fears about digital transactions. The film’s depiction of the NEET exam further pushes an unfounded agenda, casting it as a tool of privilege without any real evidence.
Visually, Vettaiyan featured a musical number that, while colorful, hinted at cultural appeasement, which probably left audiences questioning the intent behind such choices.
As Rajinikanth’s character delivered lines that promoted Dravidianist ideology, the film reinforced negative stereotypes about Hindus while portraying minority communities in a predominantly positive light. This biased representation detracted from the film’s potential impact and alienated a segment of its audience.
In the end, Vettaiyan felt more like a vehicle for a specific political narrative than a well-crafted film. For longtime fans of Rajinikanth, this alignment with propaganda over storytelling came across as disheartening, making it difficult to reconcile the superstar’s legacy with his recent choices.
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