A writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a ban on director Mari Selvaraj’s Maamannan, claiming that the film might stoke communal tensions between Thevars (dominant community) and Devendra Kula Velalars (Dalit community). The film is scheduled to release on Thursday, June 29. Maamannan stars actors Vadivelu, Fahadh Faasil, Keerthy Suresh and Udhayanidhi Stalin.
The petitioner, Manikandan, who belongs to Thevar community, demanded the Central Board of Film Certification to revoke the censorship certificate of Maamannan and further completely ban the film’s screening. Manikandan claimed that after watching the trailer and audio launch of the film, he suspects that Maamannan will induce “religious fanaticism” between Thevars and Devendra Kula Velalars.
He said that Mari Selvaraj’s previous film Karnan was based on a true incident between Thevars and Devendra Kula Velalars. Mari Selvaraj belongs to the Devendra Kula Velalar community. In Karnan, the film shows the police violence against Dalits who raise the issue of caste oppression and fight for a basic need of a bus stop to their village.
“Karnan clearly abused the other community and induced religious fanaticism,” the petitioner claimed. He also claimed that using the title Maamannan for the film has hurt his community sentiments. The name Maamannan originally belongs to Kathappa Pulitheven, a freedom fighter who lived in Tenkasi district. He was given the title Maamannan, claimed Manikandan in his plea.
“This historical moment is wrongly picturised in Maamannan and affected our community seriously,” the petition said.
Manikandan also claimed that Udhayanidhi Stalin, the lead actor, and director Mari Selvaraj had given press statements which were allegedly provocative in nature and were likely to cause disharmony in the society.
In his interviews, while promoting Maamannan, Mari Selvaraj had talked about the severe stress he undergoes owing to the sensitivity around the subject of his film. He said that he has been extremely careful of using metaphors, and shot the film from the perspective of the Censor Board, so that they do not object to any scene or a dialogue and cause any trouble for the film’s release.
At the audio launch of Maamannan, Mari Selvaraj brought up the issue of Thevar Magan, saying how the Kamal Haasan film had greatly distressed him. Thevar Magan, which glorifies the feudal nature of Thevars, is said to have contributed to an increase caste atrocities.
Kamal Haasan who was the chief guest for the audio launch, appreciated Mari Selvaraj’s works. He said that Mari Selvaraj does not define who is the opposition and gives them a “neutral space” in his fight for justice.
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