Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief and Lok Sabha MP Thol. Thirumavalavan has publicly praised the Tamil film “Dude,” hailing it as a “slap in the face to the caste society.” However, his endorsement has ignited controversy, with critics accusing the INDI alliance leader of normalizing adultery for the sake of a political message.
In a detailed review of the film, Thirumavalavan said, “Today I got the opportunity to watch the film Dude, which is being successfully run on the screen, produced by Mythri Movie Makers and directed by Keerthiswaran. We saw this film with our left-wing movement’s senior leader Mutharasan. The film has Pradeep Ranganathan and Mamita Baiju in the lead roles. This film, which has made love as its centerpiece, also speaks against honor killing. Love does not need any definition like caste, religion or economy. Keerthiswaran has directed this film with the definition that two minds are enough. There are visuals that attract the viewers from the beginning to the end. The flow of the film creates the expectation of what will happen next. Finally, the expectation of how this will end is increased by the comedy and at the same time, this film is centered on a very important problem that we are facing every day in society.”
He continued, “Keerthiswaran has directed this film magnificently. The fact that he has made this film suitable for this generation reveals his creativity. This film is a testament to the fact that he has also absorbed the psychology of this generation in a good way and has expressed it. He has handled the everyday languages that this generation of the 21st century, which can be called Gen Z kids, can handle and the understanding between friendship and love. Although friendship is different, love is different, friendship is the basis of love. I am used to friendship, I have no feeling, I have zero feeling with you, how can I live with you in such a place, he gives the highest respect to friendship.”
He further added, “He records in the following scenes that friendship is the basis of love. That place where he says, “When you like it, I don’t like it, when I like it, you don’t like it,” comes a dialogue about whether honor greater than life greater than life. When he wants to reunite a woman who rejected him with the lover she loves, he fights for her until the last scene of the film, without thinking of revenge if he betrays her. A new approach, one may question whether it is practical or not, but it is noteworthy that director Keerthiswaran has made this a debate or has highlighted this. The struggle he faces to reunite them, the challenges and crises he faces, the dangers he faces, and the fact that he brings all these into the film, while at the same time creating a comical tone in between, is a testament to the director’s talent.”
He continued, “Pradeep Ranganathan and heroine Mamitha Baiju have transformed themselves into those characters. Other artists have also contributed excellently. In the final scene of the film, where Sarathkumar plays the role of a father, he tries to kill the grandson instead of the daughter, and the reason he gives for not killing the daughter is that I want an heir through you, so I will not kill you. I cannot accept that this grandson was born to someone and that he is the heir to my property. We feel anxious about what will happen when he tries to kill the child. Then he has chest pain and is rushed to the hospital. The line spoken by the protagonist at that point is, “How old are you, 63? How many times have you had this attack? This is the second attack. How long will you be alive? Why do you think so arrogantly? If you feel ashamed, go and die.” That line is a whipping for this casteist society. It is a lesson for the casteist gang that justifies honor killing. Whether it is biological, legal or technical, the line where he says, “This grandson is yours, this child is your grandson, accept this.” Then, the scene where Sarathkumar comes to his senses and accepts the couple and accepts his grandson is a comforting and satisfying scene. How can a message be conveyed through film language – that Keerthivasan has beautifully expressed through this film how a message can be conveyed in a way that is understandable to today’s generation. Pradeep Ranganathan’s performance and the performances of all those who supported him are excellent, as per his expectations. I am proud that this film industry is in their hands now. My congratulations to both of them.”
The film’s plot revolves around Agan, a man who willingly gives up his wife to another man and later pretends to be the father of her child. The story, which would anywhere else be called a moral collapse, is being celebrated by a section of Gen-Z Dravidianists and leftists.
A few days ago, Keerthiswaran spoke to the media over its alleged commercial success. He said, “This film is creating debates. What I feel is this is Tamil Nadu. In this state, many ‘elders’ (periyavunga) have lived. One ‘periyavar’ (referring to anti-Hindu bigot EV Ramasamy Naicker) has also lived. They’ve said so many things. We’re just followers of them and talking about it. In Tamil Nadu, these statements are not new. Many have told this before. We as next-gen are carrying it forward and will continue to talk about it. But it will be conveyed entertainingly within cinema that is accepted by audience in large scale, that’s my wish.”
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