CHENNAI: Actor Vishal, also secretary of South Indian Artistes Association (Nadigar Sangam), has moved Madras High Court challenging his suspension from the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC).
Justice MM Sundresh, before whom the suit came up on Tuesday, ordered notice returnable by one week to the TFPC and its President S Thanu.
Vishal's interim prayer was to restrain Thanu from enforcing the suspension order dated November 14.
According to Vishal, Tamil weekly “Ananda Vikatan” carried an article in its issue dated August 17 which contained his responses to a wide range of subjects including his current films and the welfare activities being carried out for members of the SIAA.
Responding to one of the questions seeking the reasons for the loss incurred by producers, while others are able to earn profit, he has stated that the callous and irresponsible attitude of the present office-bearers of the Council was responsible for the situation. This particular reaction was also carried in the article, Vishal said.
Claiming that the council had suspended him for his opinion on the office bearers, the actor said, “it had suspended me, though there were no derogatory remarks neither against the council or its office bearers. I received a notice on August 31 directing me to withdraw my remarks and also tender an apology. But I denied the allegations through a reply dated September 9,” Vishal said.
Noting that his views were made with the sole intention of highlighting the ills the film industry was facing, he added that persons occupying public office should be tolerant towards such remarks and take it in the spirit in which they were made rather than engage in escalation.