Tamil film Aruvi has opened to rave reviews and great word of mouth. However, not everyone is happy.
Actor, director and TV show host Lakshmy Ramakrishnan has taken umbrage to the film since it takes a jibe at her show Solvathellam Unmai. The film has actor Lakshmi Gopalaswamy playing a TV show host for a programme called Solvathellam Sathyam. The host is shown to be insensitive and hypocritical.
Lakshmy Ramakrishnan took to Twitter to express her displeasure about how the film allegedly portrays her and the TV show. She asked if the director or anyone from his family had appeared on Solvathellam Unmai to know so much about the show.
In the film, Aruvi is a HIV positive person who is mistreated by the TV show host. Lakshmy tweeted that many such persons had participated on the show, suggesting that they were treated with respect and not how the film had portrayed it. She also said that Aruvi was a "feminist film made by cheap & personal attacks on another woman."
She further said that while Slumdog Millionaire had based a part of the film on Amitabh Bachchan's game show, people were not made to think that this was how the show runs. She also challenged the makers of the film to face her on camera and answer her queries.
Lakshmy asserted that she was doing her work with social responsibility and that it was wrong to "belittle and demean" her for it.
You have participated in #SU?Kallakaadhalaa?! Or , may be the director has or his family members:). That is why he knows so much about the show:) https://t.co/7obb3qc02x
— Lakshmy Ramakrishnan (@LakshmyRamki) December 19, 2017
We will show you what it takes and what really happened when a HIV patient participated in the show! Not one , many! https://t.co/ZUUVbU9AjU
— Lakshmy Ramakrishnan (@LakshmyRamki) December 19, 2017
We can't reveal they are HIV positive, in the show, but, we live in a state where some fools think make believe characters in cinema are true!!! So why not show real characters & incidents, which cannot be revealed in show, through cinema?! https://t.co/ZUUVbU9AjU
— Lakshmy Ramakrishnan (@LakshmyRamki) December 19, 2017
The Director would have seen such things happening in shows & channel he worked for! he doesn't have the b.... to spoof his own channel. #SU is easy target to become popular & some quick bucks! feminist film made by cheap & personal attacks on another woman! What greatness! https://t.co/7obb3qc02x
— Lakshmy Ramakrishnan (@LakshmyRamki) December 19, 2017
Remember #Slumdog ? Based in a popular show? They did not associate or believe that BIg B actually does what is shown in the film to his participants! But fools like this one, believe the Director's imagination is what actually happens! https://t.co/OeMKdwdtZu
— Lakshmy Ramakrishnan (@LakshmyRamki) December 19, 2017
If the makers/ director has the b.... let them face me , live on camera, and answer my queries, good opportunity for publicity for the film! Can any of the popular channels including @ZeeTamil , come forward to do this? https://t.co/OeMKdwdtZu
— Lakshmy Ramakrishnan (@LakshmyRamki) December 19, 2017
if someone has a problem with the format, they should address that! You cannot belittle and demean & defame my sincere contribution for the past 6 years! I don't do social work, but do my job with social responsibility & film industry has tried to damage me over & over again https://t.co/6DVUZimYLA
— Lakshmy Ramakrishnan (@LakshmyRamki) December 19, 2017
Women should speak up not just for their own sake but for other women also. targeting a woman's reputation, someone who is a film maker / actor, also lends voice for social issues, is nothing but destructive. If u have opinion about the show, discuss that, why personal attacks ?
— Lakshmy Ramakrishnan (@LakshmyRamki) December 19, 2017
This is not for the first time that Lakshmy has been upset at how the show has been represented on screen. The RJ Balaji-GV Prakash film Kadavul Irukan Kumaru also mocked Solvathellam Unmai, angering the actor-director.
Meanwhile, Aruvi has also drawn flak from Vijay fans for a scene that mocks the actor's films – the dialogue, "A good film that Vijay has acted in? Which one is that?" has irked some of them who've claimed that it was unnecessary for the film to take such a potshot at their star.
They have alleged that Aruvi is a copy of an Egyptian film Asmaa while others have said it is not so.
#Asmaa film unofficial remake #Aruvi https://t.co/9d1vPLvhNF
— VIJAYISM (@karth1sofficial) December 18, 2017
@amrmsalama Thanks for Asmaa Please watch our Indian version, "Aruvi". It's unofficially dedicated to your hardwork We have added some extra trolls to make it more appealing to certain sections of our audience Hope you can reply back to the producer @prabhu_sr
— Sammy (@iamsampoline) December 19, 2017
Enter Password : #Asmaa
— VIJAYISM (@karth1sofficial) December 19, 2017
Re-enter Password : #Aruvi
*Password matched*
I watched #Asmaa and there is a thematic and set-piece semblance to #Aruvi and that is all. Stop the shithousery and commend the ambitiousness in the writing and tonality of Arun Prabhu. Aruvi is as much a copy of Asmaa as Avatar is of Vietnam Colony.
— 'Rollllling Sirrrrr' Achu (@brahahamin) December 19, 2017
Ithula...
— Μʀ.KiиG (@KingVjFan) December 18, 2017
New Attempt dwww...
Good Story dawww
Tamil Cinema Growing dawww#Asmaa = #Aruvi
The producer of the film, SR Prabhu of Dream Warrior Pictures, tweeted that Aruvi was made purely to promote love and humanity and that the film had no intention of offending anyone. "Nevertheless, we apologise if we have hurt anyone," he said.
#அருவி - இது அன்பை, மனிதத்தை பறைசாற்றும் நோக்கில் மட்டுமே எடுக்கப்பட்ட படம். யார் மனதையும் புண்படுத்தும் நோக்கில் எடுக்கப்பட்டதல்ல. இருந்தும், யாராவது காயப்பட்டிருந்தால் எங்கள் வருத்தத்தை தெரிவித்துக்கொள்கிறோம்! @thambiprabu89 @DreamWarriorpic
— S.R.Prabhu (@prabhu_sr) December 18, 2017