'Jai Bhim' Vanniyar row: Court orders FIR against Suriya, Jyothika, director Gnanavel

A Chennai court has ordered the police to file an FIR against actor Suriya, his wife Jyothika and director T.J. Gnanavel for allegedly misrepresenting the Vanniyar community in the 2021 film Jai Bhim. In its petition, Rudra Vanniyar Sena, a Vanniyar group, had claimed that the community has been shown in a poor light in the movie.

The petitioners had appraoched the Chennai Saidapet court in November 2021, and the matter came up for hearing on April 29, 2022. According to reports, the court directed the Chennai police to file an FIR against all three named as accused. The court has forwarded the complaint to the Inspector of police in Velachery to register an FIR according to law and investigate the case, The News Minute reported. The case will be heard again on May 20.

In November last year, the Vanniyar Sangam, on Monday, issued a legal notice to Suriya, Jyotika and Gnanavel, and also demanded a compensation of Rs 5 crore. They had also sought unconditional apology and demanded removal of scenes which allegedly showed the community in poor light.

In the notice, Pu. Tha. Arulmozhi, president of Vanniyar Sangam, which was founded by Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), asked the makers of the movie to refrain from publishing malicious and defamatory remarks against the community. The notice claimed as “malicious” the scene in which a calendar with the image of ‘agni kundam’, a symbol associated with the community, is shown.