Actor Siddharth fired off a series of tweets last week when Jigarthanda’s release was delayed yet again without any warning whatsoever. The gangster musical was set to release on July 25 but was suddenly postponed by the film’s producer S Kathiresan. Siddharth alleged that the decision was made without consulting the movie’s director Karthik Subbaraj and his team.
Kathiresan then explained the reason, attributing the delay to the success of Dhanush’s Velaiyilla Pattathari. “This film is like my baby. Why would I seek to destroy my own child? I wanted to make sure the film gets the kind of reach that it deserved. There are some really big movies coming out in the next two weeks and no producer would dream of releasing the movie at this time. It’s an unnecessary risk and it will not give Jigarthanda the space it deserves to get noticed.”
Now, the Producers’ Council has come out in support of Kathiresan, strongly condemning Siddarth’s behaviour. In an official statement, the council members accused Siddharth of interfering in ‘matters he doesn’t understand’. “Siddharth is paid to do his job – which is to act. So, it is totally unfair on his part to question the decisions of the person who’s paying him. The producer always knows best when it comes to release dates and such. We never interfere in the creative side of things and the artistes should not interfere in the production side.”
Karthik Subbaraj declined to comment on the issue.
Jigarthanda is now scheduled for release on August 1, pitting it against Kathai Thiraikkathai Vasanam Iyakkam and Sarabham.