Director Raju Murugan yesterday expressed regret for his remarks on actors Rajinikanth and Vijay during the audio release of Mundhiri Kaadu. At the event which was held recently, the director of acclaimed films such as Cuckoo and Joker, and the forthcoming Gypsy, spoke about the social realities of Tamil Nadu, what the film stands for, and the hero Pugazh, before saying “Oru vendukol thaan, yaar yaaro Superstar, Ilaya Thalapathigal ellam irukkumbodhu, namma pillaiku oru pattam vechu vidunga [A request. We have so many Superstars and Ilaya Thalapathis here. Please give Pugazh a title too].”
This got fans of both Rajinkanth and Vijay into a tizzy, and they took turns to troll and shame Raju Murugan, insisting that he was being ungrateful, because Rajinikanth singled out his Joker for praise. Finally, yesterday, Raju Murugan posted a tweet explaining that what he said at the launch was inadvertent and was only meant to enthuse the audience. “I regret the choice of words. Both Rajini and Vijay have risen through sheer hard work. I deeply respect their tremendous contribution to the film industry,” he wrote.
ஒரு இசை வெளியீட்டு நிகழ்வில் எந்த உள்நோக்கமும் இல்லாமல் உற்சாகப்படுத்துவதற்காக பேசப்பட்ட விசயம் அது. வார்த்தைகள் தவறாக அமைந்ததற்கு வருந்துகிறேன். ரஜினி அவர்களும், விஜய் அவர்களும் தங்களது உழைப்பால், அர்ப்பணிப்பால் தமிழ் சினிவாவின் இந்த உச்சங்களைத் தொட்டவர்கள்.
— Director Rajumurugan (@Dir_Rajumurugan) August 1, 2019
கலைத்துறையில் அவர்களது பங்களிப்பின் மேல் உயர்ந்த மரியாதை எப்போதும் எனக்கிருக்கிறது! @rajinikanth @actorvijay
— Director Rajumurugan (@Dir_Rajumurugan) August 1, 2019
Raju Murugan, a former journalist, is known for his hard-hitting films that are a comment on society. If Cuckoo spoke about the love story between two blind people, Joker threw the spotlight on the need for proper sanitation and how a person’s life is torn asunder because of a poorly-constructed toilet. Gypsy, starring Jiiva and Natasha Singh, has made all the right noises in its trailer, and is a much-awaited film that speaks about the ills plaguing society now.
