Members of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Tamil Nadu’s Kumbakonam set ablaze an effigy of actor Suriya effigy in Ammaiyappan village, Thiruppanandal in Tamil Nadu’s Kumbakonam on Thursday, March 10, as the actor’s Etharkkum Thunindhavan (ET) hit the screens. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as well as the Vanniyar Sangam has been voicing opposition against actor Suriya over the portrayal of the Vanniyar community in his previous film Jai Bhim. They have also demanded a public apology from the actor.
Recently, a PMK student leader asked Cuddalore theatre owners not to screen ET. Amid this, ET was screened in two theatres in Kumbakonam, located in Thanjavur district, and police teams under the supervision of DSP Asokan were deployed at the theatres to maintain law and order. Though fans were waiting for the film’s release, in view of the stand-off between the PMK and Suriya, many did not come to the theatres to watch the movie.
An effigy of the actor was burnt in Ammaiyappan village in Thiruppanandal town near Kumbakonam. Led by two people named Mani and Prakash, the protesters condemned the portrayal of the Vanniyar community in Surya’s Jai Bhim, raised slogans, and demanded a public apology from the actor.
Late last year, following the release of Jai Bhim, which was based on the life of the Irular community, the head of the PMK’s youth wing, Anbumani Ramadoss wrote a letter to Suriya and the filmmakers, calling the movie a “planned attack” on the Vanniyar community. Responding to his letter, Suriya said that no one from the film’s team had any intention of hurting any single individual or a particular community. In November 2021, the Vanniyar Sangam had also sent a Rs 5 crore legal notice to Suriya and the movie’s filmmakers.
ET, directed by Pandiraj, stars Suriya and Priyanka Mohan in the lead. Arul Mohan, Vinai Rai, Sathyaraj, Saranya Ponvannan and others are also part of the cast.