CHENNAI: Aiming to put a closure on the controversy surrounding the film Jai Bhim, its director TJ Gnanavel clarified he never intended to defame a particular community in the film.
In a statement, he said the calendar shown in the film, which later triggered controversy, was overlooked during the shooting and post-production. “The calendar was used to refer to a particular time period and not to target any community,” he said.
He also expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to actor Suriya due to the controversy. “It is unfortunate that Suriya had to take the responsibility, which I have to bear.”
Earlier, PMK’s Anbumani Ramadoss had charged that a calendar containing Agni Kundam — a symbol of Vanniyars — was shown in the film in the residence of a policeman who tortures the character of Rajakannu, and that it showed them in a bad light.