Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead about Farzi series
After ‘800’ movie controversy, actor Vijay Sethupathi has been caught yet again portraying Sri Lankan Tamils in a negative light in his recently released web series.
Farzi is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language black comedy crime thriller television series about counterfeit money created, produced and directed by Raj & DK. It stars Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Kay Kay Menon, Raashii Khanna and Bhuvan Arora. The web series was released on Amazon Prime OTT on February 10th.
The Farzi web series is set in the same universe as Raj and DK’s The Family Man. Soon after the release of Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Akkineni’s The Family Man 2’s trailer, the web series landed in trouble as it ended up upsetting a certain section of people who felt that the show is trying to portray Tamil people in a negative light. The show is accused of misrepresenting the Eelam Tamil community in Sri Lanka and the LTTE organization.
Some people even wanted the show to be banned. According to them, the show contains insults and insinuations against Tamil rebels and also portrayal of Tamil people.
How to make a Tamilian look like a Tamilian as per bollywood.
Get a popular fair skinned actress even if she is tamil paint her black.#Familyman2 pic.twitter.com/zOrdsxHzO8
— 🖤 Kaala Seth 🖤 (@4m_raj) June 5, 2021
In this situation, actor Vijay Sethupathi, who plays a special task force officer in the recently released web series Farzi, gives a lead in the series that he might act in the future series of controversial web series Family Man.
In Farzi episode 4, Vijay Sethupathi, who plays Michael, speaks with Ajit (Vijay Vikram Singh) and Puneet (Aritro Rudraneil), who work as computer engineers in the TASC (Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell) of the Family Man web series.
He asks,”Do you have a lighter?” After lighting his cigarette using Ajit’s cigarette, Michael asks,” Is Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee-lead actor of Family Man) here?”. As Ajith and Puneet work in a secret agency (TASC) and do not want to reveal their identity to a stranger Micheal, they will act as if they do not know Tiwari. Later, Michael departs, telling Puneet, “Tell Tiwari that Michael said hi.”
As the director gives a clear lead, this is a clear indication that Michael (Vijay Sethupathi) already knows Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) and will be sharing the screen in the future.
In another episode of Farzi, Tamil actor Udhay Mahesh who plays the role of ‘Chellam Sir’ in Family Man, will give intelligence input to Michael (Vijay Sethupathi) about the right hand of leader of counterfeit currency Mafia.
In another episode, Michael (Vjay Sethupathi) will try to prevent the entry of a ₹20000 crore ‘Super note,’ a type of perfect counterfeit note, into India. Michael will inform his teammates that the counterfeit currency mafia will attempt to bring the ₹20000 crore currency notes into India via Sri Lanka, and that security in Rameshwaram must be increased.
While there are numerous points of entry into India via Tamil Nadu, one must understand why Vijay Sethupathi directed his teammates to beef up security at Rameshwaram. Rameshwaram is the first point of entry for Sri Lankan Tamils fleeing to India as refugees.
Several films have depicted Sri Lankan Tamils as drug smugglers and precious item smugglers, and with the proceeds they used to fund LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) groups. Fringe groups in Tamil Nadu like Naam Tamilar, Tamil Desiya Periyakkam and others have always been opposed to portraying Sri Lankan Tamils as smugglers.
One such movie in which Sri Lankan Tamils were portrayed as smugglers is the actor Dhanush starring ‘Jagame Thanthiram’. In this movie, Sri Lankan Tamils will be shown as smugglers and the proceeds will be used to fight gangsters in the United Kingdom.
The film received criticism from both Indian Tamils and Tamils living abroad for stereotyping Sri Lankan Tamils as smugglers.
And this attempt by Vijay Sethupathi showing Rameshwaram as the entry point of counterfeit currency is seen as the direct attack on Sri Lankan Tamils.
It should also be noted that the Trichy special camp has recently been in the news, as its inmates, particularly Sri Lankan Tamils, have been linked to the international drug mafia, and several inmates have been raided and arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Vijay Sethupathi And ‘800’ Movie Controversy
The film, titled 800, was marred by controversy due to Vijay Sethupathi’s casting as Muthiah Muralitharan, who is thought to have supported the Sri Lankan government during the civil war with the LTTE.
Following the outrage of Tamil nationalists and a section of Tamil Nadu’s film personalities and politicians, actor Vijay Sethupathi had decided to withdraw from th biopic of the Sri Lankan cricketer.
Though Muthiah Muralitharan tried to explain his case, claiming that he never treated Eelam Tamils with disrespect citing his own Tamil origin, many point to footage and news reports indicating the cricketer’s seemingly supportive stand for Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the island nation’s then President who was the wartime defence secretary, and other remarks made near the end of the civil war.
In Tamil Nadu, film personalities such as Bharathiraja, Ameer, Thamarai, and Cheran, as well as a state minister, Kadambur C Raju, urged Vijay Sethupathi to withdraw from the project “considering Tamil people’s sentiments.”
Several people have questioned Vijay Sethupathi’s ethnicity, as he is from the Telugu-speaking Naidu caste. They claimed that because he is not Tamil, actor Vijay Sethupathi will not understand the feelings of Tamils.
The Hypocrisy
It should also be noted that prior to the release of Farzi, a fan club allegedly affiliated with Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi had posted racist and xenophobic wall posters throughout Madurai district, urging native Tamil Nadu people to boycott North Indians. No clarification or a condemnation came from Vijay Sethupathi.
After the image of anti-North Indian posters went viral in social media, many netizens questioned Sethupathi fans who had pasted anti-North Indian posters, given that their favorite actor is now appearing in a slew of North Indian Hindi films such as Mumbaikar, Jawan, and Merry Christmas.
In addition, Vijay Sethupathi’s new Hindi web series Farzi, in which he co-stars with Shahid Kapoor, has already been released.
So, Vijay Sethupathi will go in search of better opportunities and work with Hindi folks to mint money. Many Tamil people work in different states and different countries.
What if they start to boycott Tamils? Are the anti-North Indian posters a ploy to shift focus away from his controversial portrayal of Tamils?
Vijay Sethupathi’s Quest For A Hit Film
Though Vijay Sethupathi’s films have been marred by controversy, the alleged actor is trying hard to deliver a hit film, as his last hit as the lead actor was ’96,’ which was released in 2018.
His flop films as a lead actor since 2018 include Seethakathi, Sindhubath, Sangatamizhan, Laabam, Thuglaq Darbar, Annabelle Subramanium, Kadaisi Vivasayi, Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, Maamanithan, and DSP.
These films turned out to be not only financial disasters but also many of them were pathetic in storyline.
Is Vijay Sethupathi deliberately choosing controversial scripts now to find his lost footing?
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