On May 29, 2025, whereas some Kannada activists had simply stepped up assaults on versatile actor Kamal Haasan for his controversial comment that “Tamil gave birth to Kannada”, the Thug Life star confronted a light salvo in his house State, Tamil Nadu.
Puthiya Tamilagam occasion founder Okay. Krishnasamy objected to the movie’s title. The politician contended that the time period “Thugs” has been used traditionally to explain criminals, violent rogues and gangsters. The “Thugs and Pindaris” had been violent legal gangs in the course of the 18th and 19th century, he stated including, naming a movie with the title ‘Thug’ in a manner glorifies such rogue lifestyle. Therefore, he urged the actor to keep away from naming his upcoming movie Thug Life.
Mr. Krishnasamy’s attraction had little resonance. But, there was a time when opposition from him had pressured the actor to alter the unique title of his movie.
In the summer season of May 2003, when the actor’s title was spelt Kamal Hassan, he had unveiled his subsequent enterprise with a lot fanfare in Madurai – Sandiyar. The movie’s posters featured an aruval (machete).
Mr. Krishnaswami objected to the title and accused the actor-producer of attempting to inculcate an aruval tradition in Tamil Nadu. He wished Hassan to desert the challenge. “I will lead the agitation against the shooting of this controversial movie,” he declared.
The movie’s taking pictures was halted. Initially, the actor tried to fulfill the then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa hoping to kind out the difficulty. However, she didn’t grant him an viewers instantly.
Instead, Jayalalithaa informed journalists “protracted” police safety can’t be given to a movie unit, which, in keeping with her, “deliberately chooses a controversial subject.” The responsibility of the police was to guard the legislation and order and the lives of the folks and never present safety for a protracted interval for taking pictures a movie, she stated. The Chief Minister added, if the police had a “justified apprehension” that movie taking pictures would create a legislation and order drawback, they had been effectively inside their rights to refuse permission.
“Asked about the role of the State in protecting artistic freedom, Ms. Jayalalithaa, herself an ex-actress, said the police were not concerned with it,” a report in The Hindu on June 14, 2003 stated. However, three days later, her Secretary – I, Sheela Balakrishnan, wrote to The Hindu, denying this. “I would like to categorically state that no such remark was made by the Chief Minister,” she stated.
Questioning the Puthiya Tamilagam chief’s motion, The Hindu in an editorial posed: “The question at this point is, will it not be premature, even immature, to judge a work even before the cameras have begun rolling, and the first scenes have been framed?”
Around that point, Mr. Krishnasamy contended his occasion’s protest towards the taking pictures of Sandiyar was not aimed toward Kamal Hassan, or a single film however was towards the decadence that had set in within the Tamil movie business. The title, Sandiyar, he stated, had flawed connotations and villagers, particularly in southern districts, had been conscious of the behaviour of sure components who referred to as themselves so. According to him, Sandiyar meant a “terrorist at the village-level”. He stated the actor had not tried to justify or clarify the title and it was not correct on Kamal Hassan’s half to have tried to fulfill Jayalalithaa to hunt safety for the taking pictures.
Incidentally, Thol. Thirumavalavan (then often called T. Thirumavalavan), the chief of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (at the moment, Dalit Panthers of India), welcomed Jayalalithaa’s stand and appealed to the State authorities to take steps to ban movies which tended to incite caste clashes.
Caught in a spot, Kamal Hassan and his group, which was tenting in a resort in Theni, wound up and returned to Chennai. A court docket set erected at Chettiyar Hall in Uthamapalayam was additionally eliminated.
A units put up for the Tamil movie ‘Sandiyar’ at Uthamapalayam in Theni district in June 2003. File
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu Archives
Just a few days later, on June 20, 2003, the actor had a 25-minute assembly with Jayalalithaa on the Secretariat. Emerging from the Chief Minister’s workplace, Kamal Haasan dramatically declared that the title Sandiyar was being dropped. “The problems are over. The shooting will begin in Tamil Nadu,” he informed journalists.
Insisting that he had not yielded to stress, he stated, “If the title was the cause of the problem, I would change it.” Asked concerning the new title, he stated, “I have not yet decided. But it could be given any title. Even a name like Sakalakalavallavan — the title of an earlier blockbuster, would do for the film. For the story is strong and would work under any title.” Asked whether or not the Chief Minister had suggested him to scrap the title, he stated it was his personal resolution, and she or he stated it was a “good idea”, a report in The Hindu stated.
When a journalist requested him about makes an attempt by politicians to politicise the movie, he merely stated: “What I feel I need not say here. It is enough if I convey it through the film.”
Actor Kamal Hassan speaks to journalists after assembly the then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa concerning his film ‘Sandiyar’, on the Secretariat in Chennai on June 20, 2003. File
| Photo Credit:
Vino John
The taking pictures of the movie resumed however once more was halted in mid-September. But this time, the actor stated the placement was shifted from Dindigul not for political causes, however as a result of the lakes within the district had been dry and there was a delay in acquiring “necessary equipment.”
The movie then obtained a brand new title, Virumaandi. During its audio cassette launch in December 2003, ace movie director Okay. Balachander, a mentor to Kamal Hassan, had this to say: “Kamal has emerged unscathed from the ordeal. In fact, he has to be grateful to the people who were causing him all that misery. But for them, this film would not have had this wonderful title — Virumaandi — which is an unusual name.” The crowd rose as one man in applause.
Footnote: In August 2014, a Tamil movie titled Sandiyar was launched. At that point, there was hardly any whisper of a protest.
Published – June 04, 2025 05:00 am IST
