Actor Vijay Sethupathi has come under the rage of people for signing a project in which he has to play the role of ace Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan in the upcoming biopic named “800”. The teaser of the biopic was released this week.
Vijay Sethupathi sports an uncanny look of Muttiah Muralitharan in the biopic. Several noted cinema personalities and politicians have expressed their reservations against Vijay Sethupathi for agreeing to act as Muttiah Muralitharan as it hurts the sentiments of Sri Lankan Tamils.
National award-winning veteran Director Bharathiraja wrote a letter to actor Vijay Sethupathi asking him not to act in the biopic on Srilankan spin wizard Muralitharan and requested him to drop the project at any cost.
In his letter, director Bharathiraja has accused that “Muthiah Muralitharan was playing fiddle when the Tamil genocide was committed in Srilanka” and stated, “no matter what his achievements are but he was a person who was smiling when the Tamils were massacred in Sri Lanka and have called him as a betrayer of the SriLankan Tamils”.
Bharathiraja further added that by dropping this project Vijay Sethupathi can not only find a place in the hearts of Tamils in the State, he will have his place in the hearts of the Sri Lankan Tamils too. Padma Shri Actor Vivek while addressing the media on Thursday said, “Personalities who are loved by the people should understand what those people love and act accordingly.”
Pro Tamil Political party Naam Tamilar Convener Seeman also advised Vijay Sethupathi to drop the project immediately. Through a statement, Seeman has said “Muttiah Muralitharan should not just be seen as a mere cricketer when lakhs of Tamils were massacred in Sri Lanka, he said that it was the happiest day in his life”.
Seeman has accused Muralitharan as a henchman of the Rajapaksa government, who worked in hand with the Sri Lankan Government when they carried out genocide against the Sri Lankan Tamils. Seeman has called Muralitharan as a Tamil betrayer who compared Mahinda Rajapaksa with Nelson Mandela. He also adds that the movie can be released in Colombo, but will not be allowed to release in Tamil Nadu.
Acclaimed poet Vairamuthu through a tweet has said “At times, the fame that you get by doing is much more valuable than getting fame without doing anything. You’re a growing actor, why carry a stain along. It is the best wisdom to give up the artist rights over the rights of the race.”