Armed police have been posted in front of the Chennai home of renowned actor Suriya Sivakumar. He got threats from the Vanniyar Community regarding his newly released movie ‘Jai Bhim‘. After reporting to the police station he has got police security. Suriya got legal notice from the community and they claim that a scene has been ‘tarnished’ in this film- in which a man from their caste tortured a tribal man.
The Vanniyar asserts that the scene denigrated their community and they have claimed 5 crores for that. They have also claimed to remove all the scenes connected with them and warned the director and actor about taking civil and criminal action.
In Tamil Nadu, Vanniyar is the most backward community. They are dominated by northern districts.
Jai Bhim was released on 2nd November on the OTT channel Amazon Prime. It has also available in Hindi and Telugu. A powerful courtroom drama has been presented in the film. The movie is inspired by the life of the former Madras High Court Judge and human rights activist Justice Chandru. He fought against the harassment of the downtrodden sections of society.
The film is based on the story of an Irula woman, whose husband died in police custody, and Justice Chandru is seeking justice for that helpless lady. Suriya plays the role of Justice Chandru. He has also produced the movie. The controversial scene included one shot and it features a communal symbol. The scene has been replaced with the image of a deity.
In the reply to a letter from Thol. Thirumavalavan, the Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, Suriya has been questioned about the importance of cinema and art in raising social awareness such as the issue addressed in ‘Jai Bhim‘. Thirumavalavan said, “Real societal change can only happen through the government and its agencies.”
On Wednesday the actor tweeted and thank his fans for their continuing support. He wrote on tweeter, “Dear all, this love for Jai Bhim is overwhelming. I’ve never witnessed this before! Can’t express in words how thankful I am for the trust and reassurance you all have given us. Heartfelt thanks for standing by us.”
Suriya and his wife Jyotika met with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin and donate a 1 crore cheque for the development of the Irula tribe.