Jai Bhim Row: Director TJ Gnanavel Issues A Statement, Apologizing To Vanniyar Community; Says ‘Unfair To Blame Suriya For Controversy’

Jai Bhim’s director TJ Gnanavel has reacted to the ongoing controversy surrounding the film. He issued a detailed statement on Twitter

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Jai Bhim Row: Director TJ Gnanavel Issues A Statement, Apologizing To Vanniyar Community; Says ‘Unfair To Blame Suriya For Controversy’
Director TJ Gnanavel's film 'Jai Bhim', starring Suriya, Lijomol Jose and Manikandan, landed in multiple controversies shortly after its release. The movie received a lot of flak after Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) alleged that certain scenes in the movie tarnished the image of the Vanniyar community. Now, TJ Gnanavel has finally reacted to the ongoing controversy and issued a statement on Twitter, expressing his regret over unintentionally hurting the sentiments of the Vanniyar community. The filmmaker also stated that it was never his intention to defame a particular community. 

Gnanavel also called it "unfair" to blame Suriya for the controversy. Taking to Twitter, he released a detailed clarification in Tamil. He said, “If we had noticed, I would have removed it before the film's release. When the film released on November 1, many pointed out the calendar. Before the controversy erupted, we started making plans to remove the symbol and the calendar. I thought people would understand our intention when we made the change. As a director, I should take responsibility. It is unfair to ask Suriya to take responsibility for this controversy. As a producer and actor, Suriya portrayed the role to shed light on the problems meted out to the tribal community. I would like to apologise to him for all that he has been put through. “

The statement further read, “Jai Bhim does not target or shame a particular person or any community. I would like to apologise to those who were offended. My heartfelt thanks to members of the film fraternity, political outfits, social activists, media and many faceless members who supported us during difficult times.”


Talking about the controversial calendar scene, Gnanavel said, “Our intention was not to represent any community through the shot of the calendar. It was only supposed to reflect the year 1995 the story is set in. It was a shot that appeared for just a few seconds on screen and completely went unnoticed in the post-production.”

Jai Bhim, a hard-hitting courtroom drama, which also features Prakash Raj, Rao Ramesh, Rajisha Vijayan and Lijo Mol Jose, was premiered on Amazon Prime Video on November 2. Also Read: Jai Bhim: Suriya's Next A Courtroom Drama To Stream On Amazon Prime Video, This Diwali On 2 November 2021





Image source/Suriya/Instagram