Surya Sethupathi, the son of renowned actor Vijay Sethupathi, has found himself at the centre of controversy following his comments about his family’s ‘financial‘ struggles. The budding actor is set to make his cinematic debut in the film Phoenix (Veezhaan), directed by acclaimed stunt master Anal Arasu, which is slated to hit theaters on 14 November 2024.
He was already seen in Naanum Rowdy Thaan, playing his father’s younger self and in the 2019 release Sindhubaadh. This year he is expecting to see the release of two films – Viduthalai Part 2 apart from Phoenix.
Despite his father’s immense popularity across Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi cinema, Surya’s recent remarks have drawn criticism rather than support. During the announcement of his film, he claimed, “I have come to this place because of hardship since my childhood. My father gives me 500 rupees daily for expenses. That’s why I have come to win in cinema.”
These statements were met with ridicule on social media, where netizens expressed disbelief at the notion of enduring hardship on a daily allowance of just 500 rupees.
Netizen Reactions
One netizen shared a clipping of a Lollu Sabha episode where a sister is seen studying “hard” by keeping her book at a distance and struggling to read to justify her brother’s hardwork taking care of the family. The sister character was mocked as Surya.
Vijay Sethupathy Son 🤣😂😂 pic.twitter.com/radJKSJOj9
— ValuBoy (@ValuBoy) October 21, 2024
Another calling it a PR failure wrote, “PR failure. If I was advising this kid, the statement would read this: “My father gives 15,000 Rs per month and I have to live with that money, come what way. This has helped me understand the world better by living a frugal lifestyle“
PR failure. If I was advising this kid, the statement would read this: "My father gives 15,000 Rs per month and I have to live with that money, come what way. This has helped me understand the world better by living a frugal lifestyle" #VijaySethupathi #Suryasethupathi https://t.co/oJhFtKSkBC
— Harish S Ram (@harishsram) October 21, 2024
Here are some other netizen reactions:
500 x 30 =15,000
15000 x 12 =1,80,000Paravalaiye kammi pocket money thaan
Feel panna vendiya vishayam thaan https://t.co/NOHa5o93NU
— 𝕻𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖎𝖉𝖔𝖓🔱 (@King_Zeus2228) October 21, 2024
Verum ₹500 daily allowance… romba kashtama iruku paati https://t.co/yUfcGlubgm pic.twitter.com/WqveqUMbyy
— meanmeen saw suho 🐰 (@_mistletoe_29) October 21, 2024
Actor Vijay Sethupathi son latest interview : I struggled hard during young age my dad JUST gives me only 500 per day I came to cinema that's why I need to win big
En da namma chinna vayasula playstation aada kasu ketalae adipangalae da pic.twitter.com/aEweF5psI3
— Cricspace (@raj_cricspace) October 21, 2024
Aiyo Pavam Pillai VijaySethu's Son phoenix romba kashthulae iruthukaru pola 😆 🤣 😂 monthly 15k rupees pocket money 💰 Romba kastham tha lol #vijaysethupathi #Phoenix #iKamalBhai #BrandedFeatures #SuriyaVijaySethupathi pic.twitter.com/317dD9ie2g
— KAMAL BHAI 🇸🇬 (@iKamalBhai) October 21, 2024
The backlash intensified following Surya’s earlier comments, where he seemed to distance himself from his father’s legacy. He stated, “Father is different and I am different. Even on the poster, I have put Surya. I did not put my name as Surya Sethupathi.” This attempt to carve out his identity has been perceived by many as disingenuous, especially given his privileged background in the film industry.
Critics have pointed out that these statements reflect a disconnect from reality instead of fostering humility. As Surya Sethupathi prepares for his debut, the scrutiny over his comments raises questions about the challenges of navigating fame and expectation in the shadow of a prominent father.
(With inputs from ABPLive)
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