November 8, 2018
Chennai : Tamil Nadu is witnessing a storm over Vijay starrer Sarkar that is critical of the state government has ministers up in arms and demanding action against the actor and film director AR Murugadoss.
On Thursday AIADMK cadres on the ground were tearing up posters of the film and the film hero Vijay at different theatres screening the film.
Minister after minister are coming out strongly against the film and its maker saying that the film was biased against the AIADMK and was seen commenting on the government and government welfare schemes. Even in criticising the government, the film, AIADMK leaders allege was partial to DMK. In the film the hero is seen smashing a mixier distributed by Amma but not touching the television distributed by DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi.
TN Law minister CA Shanmugan described the film makers as ‘terrorists’ and said action should be taken against those indulging in seditious activities. The acts of the film and film maker amount to sedition the minister asserted.
“An actor has the prerogative to criticise the government and nobody is objecting to that. But the film showing freebies given by government burnt, and by inciting violence, is highly condemnable,” the minister said. He added that unless the offending scenes are cut, the government will take appropriate action.
Shanmugam denied allegations that the government was intolerant. In fact the film has been allowed to be shown at special timings and more shows as well, he said.
Given the controversy raked up by the AIADMK, the film has already crossed the Rs 100 crore revenue and is expected to be much more as all the publicity the film is getting from news channel coverages will make it more successful at the box office, a film trade source said.