Vijayalakshmi, daughter of Mumbai don Thiraviyam Nadar, has said that Rajinikanth’s Kaala is based on her father. In an exclusive interview with Kumudham, Vijayalakshmi said:
“I don’t know why Pa Ranjith is so afraid of admitting that Kaala is based on my father. When he says that the film is based on a Tirunelveli man who migrates to Mumbai and eventually became Dharavi’s hope, it is essentially my father’s story. But, he does not admit it.”
As rumoured, this is not Haji Mastan’s story or Varadaraja Mudaliar’s story. Ranjith says the film is about a man who migrated from Tirunelvi to Mumbai. But he doesn’t want to tell us who that man is. If this film is about a Dharavi-based Tamil man, then it can only be about Thiraviyam Nadar, the man they considered the father of the Dharavi people. I have not pestered the film crew that they should consult me or pay me or talk to me to make my father’s story. And yet, they remain silent on the issue. I am curious to know why.”
Vijayalakshmi also says that it was a great betrayal to the memory of her late father, to make a film about him and call it a “work of fiction”.
“I called Pa Ranjith once. When I asked him about the film, he said that it had nothing to do with my father, and that it was a work of pure fiction. I hold Ranjith and Rajinikanth in high regard. When two such luminaries come together to make a film, it will garner much attention and fame. It will even be celebrated for years to come. In such a scenario, it will also be a great betrayal to the memory of the man who selflessly devoted his life to Tamil people in Mumbai. That is just plain wrong.”
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Vijayalakshmi also said that it remains to be seen whether Rajini plays a Marathi saviour or a Tamil one in the film. “Tamilians changed the landscape of Mumbai. Through their hard work and commitment, they transformed what was essentially a landfill into a beautiful place. The same Tamilians are now being forced to leave the land they worked so hard in. The Maharashtra Government is trying to evict them from the land they call home. This is such a great betrayal and yet no one seems to care. If Ranjith wants to make a real Dharavi film like he says he wants to, then he should not ignore such issues. He should portray it realistically, else it becomes a wasted effort.
It remains to be seen if Rajini plays a Marathi man who rescues Tamil people. Or a Tamilian. Either way, the rich history and sacrifices of Tamils settled in Mumbai should not be ignored.”