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Vadivelu’s fans will be glad to know that his comeback film — Thenaliraman – is all set to release on Friday. The movie had been in the line of fire of various Telugu outfits for allegedly sullying the reputation of Telugu kings. But in a hurried press meet on Wednesday, we were told that the issue was “sorted” and that the film would hit theatres as planned.
“We have agreed to a disclaimer at the beginning that says all characters in this film are imaginary; so there won’t be any need to delete content,” said R Rangarajan, director of AGS Entertainment. Ramakrishna Tanguturi, the convener of All India Federation of Telugu Organisations went on to explain that they were initially irked about the portrayal of king Krishnadevaraya (with 36 wives and 52 children) in the movie. “But the makers have assured us that there is no negative reference to the king. They have also accepted most of our demands and agreed to work on any further objections we may have. We have also withdrawn the case,” he added. But of course, Mr Tanguturi may or may not know that the petition filed by the Telugu outfits had just been dismissed by the Madras High Court.
Amidst all this though, an unruffled Vadivelu was seen wielding his legendary one-liner. “Cool down! cool down!” he said, when there was an uproar among the audience over the deletion of scenes. “People like me because of my body language, and that does not have any linguistic connotation. The comedy here will be enjoyed all,” he explained, adding that Thenaliraman has been made to suit global sensibilities. The movie took London by storm when it was being shot there, Mr Vaigai Puyal insisted. “This film is not vulgar or violent; it is meant to be a family entertainer.”