Anti-caste filmmaker Mari Selvaraj penned a heartfelt note for Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil’s birthday on Tuesday, August 8. The duo recently collaborated for Maamannan where Fahadh Faasil played the terrifying and casteist villain Rathnavelu. In his birthday wish, the director said that he created Rathnavelu’s character because of his expressive eyes and said that he likes them very much.
Detailing the brief he gave Fahadh Faasil while playing Rathnavelu, Mari Selvaraj said, “In one eye, I asked you to firmly believe that the way of life that has been taught for generations is right. In the other eye, I had asked you to represent the confusion that the younger generation creates by asking fierce questions against the established norm. You perfectly portrayed two different lifestyles with your two eyes and carried it throughout the movie.”
Explaining how he was able to bring out Dr Ambedkar’s voice in the movie, Mari Selvaraj said, “Towards the end [of the movie], I asked you to close your eyes. You did it without questions. I made Dr Ambedkar’s voice echo in your chest. You had goosebumps and came running to hug me. With the same happiness I felt at that moment, I am wishing you a very happy birthday, Fahadh sir.”
Maamannan released on June 29 and starred Udhayanidhi Stalin, Keerthi Suresh, Vadivelu and Fahadh Faasil in key roles. Ahead of the film’s release, Mari Selvaraj’s speech suggesting that Maamannan was inspired by Thevar Magan, and further implying that his movie will be an antithesis to the Kamal Haasan starrer, created a huge controversy. There were objections against the film’s release claiming that the movie would create communal riots. A person from the Thevar community sought a ban on the movie anticipating communal tensions between the Thevars (a dominant caste) and the Devendra Kula Vellalars (a Dalit community).After the movie was released on Netflix, several caste groups began celebrating Rathnavelu, played by Fahadh Faasil, despite his caste not being revealed in the movie.