A lawsuit calling for the immediate ban of Kaththi and Pulipaarvai was dismissed by the Madurai High Court today. On hearing the case, the judge ruled that the court cannot interfere in the matter as the film has already been censored. Kaththi was awarded a U certificate over the weekend. Despite this legal victory, the makers of Kaththi aren’t heaving a sigh of relief just yet. Several pro Tamil outfits have announced their decision to continue their protests against Kaththi. A spokesperson for the Tamizhar Vaazhvurimai Kootamaippu told us that the group will meet key people in the Distributors’ and Theatre Owners’ association soon, to request them not to screen the film. “We have nothing against the film-maker or its cast. Our problem is with Subashkaran, who is a proven accomplice of war criminal Rajapakse. We have conclusive proof which we will begin distributing in every district of Tamil Nadu.”
The group has also claimed that it will stop its protests if Lyca agrees to let some other producer step in to release the film this Deepavali. “Subashkaran has said in a recent press meet that his expense for Kaththi was just two days’ worth of profits from his corporation. Then we suggest that he give up the film to a more decent producer; one who is not associated with the man who destroyed a race,” the spokesperson further added.
The protests are not just limited to Vijay’s Kaththi, we hear. Praveen Gandhi’s Puli Paarvai – a dramatisation of the events surrounding the death of slain LTTE leader Prabhakaran’s son – has come under fire too.
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With Deepavali a mere two weeks away, this fresh trouble has upset Subashkaran. Said a source close to the production house, “Despite the press meet that was held to clarify the allegations, this matter is still continuing. It has upset Subhaskaran and his team and they are planning to counter it with a spate of promotional events.”
Starring Vijay and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kaththi has been hit by controversies ever since Lyca was revealed as its producer. The makers had hoped that the public support for the project by pro Tamil leaders – Seeman and others of his ilk – would help, but it doesn’t seem to have made a difference.