The trailer of the second season of the Hindi web series The Family Man, which was released by the series’ lead actor, Manoj Bajpayee, on Twitter on Wednesday, received backlash and criticism from social media users, for portraying the Tamil community in a poor light.
The Amazon Prime Video’s nine-part series is created and produced by filmmakers Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK (Raj and DK) who have also directed the show along with Suparn S Varma. It is written by Suman Kumar and Raj and DK.
#TheFamilyManOnPrime trailer out now.https://t.co/kwrn1eZVZY@SrikantTFM @PrimeVideoIN @rajndk @BajpayeeManoj @Samanthaprabhu2 @Priyamani6 @sharibhashmi @sumank @Suparn @shreya_dhan13 @hinduja_sunny @DarshanKumaar @SharadK7 @ishahabali pic.twitter.com/9CEqEGJVwY
— manoj bajpayee (@BajpayeeManoj) May 19, 2021
According to a press release by the streaming service, Bajpayee will reprise his role from season one, Srikant Tiwari, a “middle-class family man and a world-class spy” who will have to come in face with “powerful and brutal adversary” played by Samantha Akkineni.
While the trailer features Akkineni portraying the role of Raaji, a Sri Lankan Tamil rebel, social media users began to trend hashtag Familyman2_Against_Tamils within hours of the trailer release. Taking offence to the scene that talks about a coalition between the “rebels and ISI”, many criticised that the scene was derogatory for Tamils as it depicts them as terrorists.
Slamming Akkineni for portraying the character, social media users requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to ban the show. Some people claimed that the scene tarnishes the image of Sri Lankan Tamils and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a militant outfit that fought for a separate state for Tamils and against the discrimination faced by the community in Sri Lanka.
#Familyman2 – A Movie produced by Indian Racists against Tamils.#Familyman2_Against_Tamils pic.twitter.com/1riJtYmp0N
— நிகரன் (@nikaran_ntk) May 19, 2021
India portraying Tamil Tigers linked with ISIS to the world. #Familyman2 Should be banned permanently. We don’t appreciate it and request the distributors to not screen the film in the state.@Samanthaprabhu2 – Shame on you Samantha. #Familyman2_Against_Tamils pic.twitter.com/NS4uMV8zYc
— மோகன் தமிழன் (@mohankeech) May 19, 2021
Till Thursday morning, the makers of the show did not comment on the backlash.
The first season of The Family Man premiered in September 2019. It followed the story of Srikant Tiwari, who works for the Special Cell of the National Investigation Agency. The show focuses on his struggle to strike a balance between his top-secret yet low-paying, high-pressure, high-stakes job and being a husband and father.
The second installment will also feature Priyamani, Devadarshini Chetan, Mime Gopi, Sharad Kelkar, N Alagamperumal, Anandsami, Shreya Dhanwanthary, among others.
The second season of The Family Man will stream on Amazon Prime Video from June 4.
