Thuppakki, Vijay’s latest flick, landed in another controversy soon after it hit screens this Deepavali as activists of a Muslim group attempted to picket the actor’s residence at Neelankarai on Wednesday to condemn the movie’s alleged portrayal of Muslims as terrorists. Sixty activists of the Indian National League Party (INLP) were arrested for the protest.
Police increased security at Vijay’s residence after receiving intelligence warnings of likely protests by the INLP. T Nagar DC P Pakalavan said that security had also been tightened at the residence of A R Murugadoss, the film’s director, in Virugambakkam, as a precautionary measure.
The INLP activists had gathered near Vijay’s residence and shouted slogans against him and the film in Arabic and Urdu, claiming that the movie hurt their sentiments by characterising them as anti-Indian . A police team led by assistant commissioner P Umashankar arrested the protesters as they prepared to lay siege to the actor’s house. Adyar DC R Sudhakar told Express that the arrested activists were released later in the evening.
Thuppakki had been in the news earlier over copyright issues with the team of Kalla Thuppakki, which later withdrew its case. Moreover, a promotion poster of the movie showing Vijay shirtless and smoking a cigar had irked anti-tobacco activists.