Ever since Suriya’s Jai Bhim released for Diwali earlier this month, it has been amidst a storm of controversies. Even though the film has received appreciation from audiences, it has been dragged into controversies for the reason that it has shown the Vanniyar community in a negative light.
The movie was based on the custodial death of ‘Rajakannu’ who is from the Mudhanai village near Virudhachalam in Cuddalore. The residents of the village have now started protesting against the incorrect portrayal of Vanniyar community. They note that there is no such discrimination between different communities in the village. They have also raised slogans asking Suriya, who is also the producer of the movie, to apologise for this wrongful portrayal. While PMK’s Youth Wing President Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss has already opposed this unjustified portrayal of Vanniyars, the village residents’ protest seems to be even more problematic for the film’s team.
ராஜாகனனு வசித்த முதனை கிராமத்தில் சூர்யாவுக்கு எதிராக மக்கள் போராட்டம் செய்து வருகின்றனர்…
சூர்யா உன் முகத்திரை கிழியும் நேரம் வெகு தொலைவில் இல்லை…#SuriyaHatesVanniyars pic.twitter.com/HsEkcUY8XK— PALANIVEL K (@PALANIV87602398) November 21, 2021
Meanwhile, writer Kanmani Gunasekharan has returned the remuneration he had received for writing the dialects for the film. Director TJ Gnanavel approached Gunasekharan to write dialogues for his film so that it could have a nativity touch with appropriate dialects. Kanmani who was very much the writer for dialogues in the film, has now returned the remuneration because he felt ‘betrayed’ after seeing the scene where a calendar had the Vanniyar’s sacre motif ‘Agni pot’ which has become a big controversy.
“There was a perversion after the many changes were included. They have denigrated our [late] leader Kaduvetti Guru and depicted the story against facts,” he said in a Facebook post where he also mentioned that he has returned the cheque worth ₹50,000 to 2D Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
(With inputs from The Indian Express & The Hindu)
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