Tamil cinema of 2023 was one of the more promising years for not just first-time filmmakers making budget-friendly films but also for established directors helming the big-ticket star vehicles. The OTT world too had its fair share of good and bad. While 2023 has been quite the even-handed year for Tamil films in general, social media has been efficient in starting conversations, questioning the status quo, and at times, even blowing up controversies, not always in the right spirit.
Given the unbridled power of art and social media, this year has no dearth of controversies. So here are some of the notable melees and war of words that occurred in 2023.
Can the real Paruthi-Veeran please stand up?
After a no-holds-barred interview with director Ameer, the long-standing conflict between Ameer and producer KE Gnanavel Raja became quite the raging debate. For the unversed, Ameer alleged that Studio Green’s Gnanavelraja refused to fund money for Paruthiveeran, midway and that he put in the money to complete the film. So, Ameer filed a case against the producer seeking proper compensation and rights for the film years ago, and this case has been going on in court for more than a decade now. Gnanavel retorted in an interview with his side of the story, and his comments fired up a storm causing filmmakers Samuthirakani, Sudha Kongara, Sasikumar and Nandha Periyasamy among others to defend Ameer.
Right in the eye of a storm
Post the release of Leo, actor Mansoor Ali Khan, in an interview, made some crass comments about his co-star Trisha in an interview. He was seen saying, “They do not allow us to rape on screen anymore. When I came to know that I would be acting with Trisha, I thought there would be some bedroom scenes and that I could throw her on the bed.”
In a fiercely worded social media post, Trisha said she would never work with him henceforth. Lokesh Kanagaraj, Karthik Subbaraj, Khushbu, Chinmayi, and Chiranjeevi expressed their solidarity with Trisha. When the National Commission for Women and the South Indian Nadigar Sangam took up the issue, Mansoor issued a public apology, which was acknowledged by Trisha.
The heart never forgets
Chennaites had the most notoriously unforgettable experience with AR Rahman’s Marakkuma Nenjam concert this year. Thanks to poor management on the side of the organisers, ACTC events, a lot of fans suffered from terrifiying issues including abuse, assault, and not being able to enter the venue despite having purchased tickets. The queues went up to the roads and those who could reach the venue failed to find their seats. While fans genuinely poured their hearts out on social media hoping for their idol to empathise, Rahman’s early tweets with no apology, only infuriated the fans further. While a refund was promised, many have not received it even after 3 months.
Blurring lines between reel and real
Actor Vishal alleged that he had to bribe the officials at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Mumbai for the certification of the Hindi version of Mark Antony. In a video, the Sandakozhi actor revealed that he had to pay a total of ` 6.5 lakhs to get the Hindi version of Mark Antony released. He further attached the bank account details to which he had transferred the amounts. Taking cognisance of the allegation, the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting appointed a senior officer to conduct an enquiry into the matter. A judgement on the case is yet to be made.
Critiquing a cult
During the audio launch of Mari Selvaraj’s third directorial, Maamannan, the director spoke about Thevar Magan and how that film acted as an impetus for him to make this film. He further said that he wondered what role a character like his father would have in such a story, and that’s what gave birth to the idea behind Maamannan. While he did call the film an important filmmaking lesson, his comments were seen as calling out Thevar Magan for its wrong message. The fact that these comments were made in the presence of Kamal Haasan, who was the Chief Guest for the event, didn’t sit well with fans on social media. The director’s biggest defence was that Kamal Haasan knew what he meant, and the thespian’s silence on the matter put an end to this controversy.