The 2021 Tamil film Jai Bhim, starring Suriya, may have been one of the most critically acclaimed and successful films of the year but the movie also had its share of controversy. The makers were slammed for showing the Kuruvar community in a bad light and were accused of hurting the sentiments of the community. Following this, a petition was filed against Suriya and director TJ Gnanavel in the Madras High Court for the same.
Suriya, the lead actor in Jai Bhim, and T. J. Gnanavel has been ordered by the Madras High Court to answer a petition that asks for legal action against them for allegedly defaming the Kuravar community. The petitioner in the case is K Murugesan, president of the Kuravan People’s Welfare Association, who on behalf of the community, has filed the petition as he says the film hurts their sentiments.
Suriya and Gnanavel were the targets of a case that Murugesan filed with the Central Crime Branch. The Egmore court, however, rejected his representation’s request to file a criminal complaint as justification for criminal action. Murugesan contested this and petitioned the Madras High Court for action. The High Court accepted his petition and added Suriya and Gnanavel as defendants.
Accordingly, when both of them were included as counter-petitioners in this case, the case came up for hearing before Justice R Hemalatha. The judge adjourned the hearing of the case, ordering the Chennai Police Department, actor Surya and director Gnanavel to respond within two weeks.
TJ Gnanavel, took some artistic liberties—for example, the tribe of protagonist Rajakannu, who becomes a victim of police brutality, is changed from the Kurava to the Irula because the latter are even more victimized in India. This is the main reason the Kurava community has been left miffed with Jai Bhim.
Some other controversies have also plagued Jai Bhim like for example a scene where a cop played by Prakash Raj slaps a man for speaking Hindi instead of Tamil has been criticized for bringing in anti-Hindi stances.
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