On May 29, 2025, while some Kannada workers attacked versatile actor Kamal Haasan for their controversial remarks that “Tamil gave birth to Kannada”, thug Life Star faced a light salvo in his home state, Tamil Nadu.
Puti Ki, the founder of the Tamilgam Party. Krishnasamy objected For the title of the film. The politician said that the word “thug” has been used historically to describe criminals, violent miscreants and gangsters. “Thugs and Pindaris” were violent criminal gangs during 18Wan And 19Wan Century, he said, in a way the name of a film with the title ‘Thugs’ glorifies such a wicked way of life. Therefore, he urged the actor to avoid naming his upcoming film thug Life,
There was very little resonance in Shri Krishnasamy’s appeal. But, there was a time when opposition forced the actor to change the original title of his film.
In the summer of May 2003, when the actor’s name was named Kamal Haasan, he unveiled his next venture with great pomp in Madurai – SandiyarOne painted in the film’s poster Aruval (Mawt).
Shri Krishnaswamy objected to the title and accused the actor-maker Aruval Culture in Tamil Nadu. He wanted Hassan to leave the project. “I will lead the movement against the shooting of this controversial film,” he announced.
The shooting of the film was stopped. Initially, the actor J. Tried to meet Jayalalithaa, who was expecting to resolve the issue. However, he did not give him the audience immediately.
Instead, Jayalalithaa said that journalists could not “prevail” police security cannot be given to a film unit, according to her, “deliberately chooses a controversial subject”. The duty of the police was to protect law and order and people’s lives and did not provide protection for a long period for shooting of the film, he said. The Chief Minister said, if the police “proper apprehension” was that the shooting of the film would create a law and order problem, then they were well within their rights to deny permission.
A report said in a report that when asked about the role of the state in defense of artistic freedom, Ms. Jayalalithaa, herself a former actress, said that the police were not worried about it. , Hindu Said on 14 June 2003. However, three days later, his secretary – I, Sheela Balakrishnan wrote HinduTo refuse this. “I would like to clearly mention that no such comments were made by the Chief Minister,” he said.
Puthia questioning the action of Tamilgam leader, Hindu In an editorial: “The question on this point is whether it will not happen before time, even immature, cameras to judge a work before rolling, and the first scenes have been implicated?”
Around that time, Shri Krishnasamy protested against shooting against his party’s opposition Sandiyar Kamal Haasan, or not a single film was aimed at the purpose, but was against the collapse set in the Tamil film industry. Topic, SandiyarHe said, especially in the southern districts, there were misinterpretation and villagers, knowing about the behavior of some elements, who had said this to themselves. According to him, Sandiyar Meaning “terrorist at village level”. He said that the actor did not attempt to justify or explain the title and it was not appropriate on Kamal Haasan’s part, which tried to meet Jayalalithaa to look for security for shooting.
Incidentally, Thol. Thirumavalavan (then known as T. Thirumavalavan), Viduthalai Chiruthigal Kachi (at that time, Dalit Panthers of India) welcomed Jayalalithaa’s stand and appealed to the state government that he was ready to incite the cast films.
Caught on one occasion, Kamal Hasan and his team, who were camping in a hotel in Tabi, wounded and returned to Chennai. A court was also removed in the Chettiar Hall in Uthamapalam.
In June 2003, a set was kept for the Tamil film ‘Sandiyar’ in Uthmapalayam in the then district. File | Photo Credit: Hindu Archives
A few days later, on June 20, 2003, the actor held a 25 -minute meeting with Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat. Emerging from the Chief Minister’s Office, Kamal Haasan dramatically declared that the title Sandiyar Was being dropped. He said, “Problems are over. The shooting will begin in Tamil Nadu,” he told reporters.
Emphasizing that he had not put pressure on, he said, “If the title was the cause of the problem, I will change it.” When asked about the new title, he said, “I have not decided yet. But it can be given any title. Even a name like Grossallavan – The first blockbuster title will be for the film. The story is strong and will work under any title. “Asked if the Chief Minister had advised him to scrap the title, he said it was his own decision, and he said that it was a” good idea “, a report in a report Hindu Said.
When a journalist asked him about the efforts by politicians to politicize the film, he said: “I think I don’t have to say here. It’s enough if I express it through the film.”
Actor Kamal Haasan on 20 June 2003 about his film ‘Sandiyar’ at the Secretariat in Chennai. Talked to reporters after meeting Jayalalithaa. File | Photo Credit: Veeno John
The shooting of the film started again but again stopped in mid -September. But this time, the actor said that the location was not transferred from Dindigul for political reasons, but because the lakes in the district were dry and delayed in obtaining “necessary equipment”.
The film then got a new title, VeerumandiDuring his audio cassette launch in December 2003, Kamal Haasan, a patron of Hasan, Ace Ki. Balchander had said to say: “Kamal has ignored the ordinance. In fact, he should be grateful to those who were causing them all the sorrows. The crowd in applause increased as a man.
Foot Note: In August 2014, a Tamil film was titled Sandiyar Was released. At that time, there was hardly any whisper to whisper to a protest.
Published – June 04, 2025 05:00 AM IST
