'Amaran,’ the Tamil biopic on Major Mukund Varadarajan, has run into troubled waters. The Sivakarthikeyan-Sai Pallavi starrer, which has earned Rs 150 crore so far, has now been accused of casteism by some fans. A segment of viewers expressed disappointment that the film didn’t specify Mukund’s Brahmin (Iyengar) caste.
During a celebratory event in Chennai marking the film’s success, director Rajkumar Periasamy explained his decision to omit caste references in the movie. He shared how Mukund’s wife, Indhu, and his parents made certain requests before the film’s production. According to India Today’s Tamil translation, Rajkumar recalled, “Indhu had a single request: she wanted an actor with strong Tamil roots since Mukund was a Tamilian. Sivakarthikeyan fit that perfectly. She also hoped the film would emphasize Tamil culture.”
Likewise, Mukund’s parents asked Rajkumar to portray him primarily as an Indian. Rajkumar reportedly noted, “Mukund’s parents said he always wanted to be recognized as an Indian. He never sought any identity beyond being Indian and Tamilian, even on official documents. They requested he be represented solely as an Indian and Tamilian in the film.”
Rajkumar added that, as a director, the idea of mentioning Mukund’s caste never crossed his mind. He explained that neither he nor the family brought up caste throughout the filmmaking process, and he approached the project as a respectful homage to Major Mukund, a recipient of the Ashoka Chakra.
In the film, Mukund, who came from the Iyengar community, is portrayed as a Hindu without caste references, while Indhu, his wife, is shown as a Christian without further caste details.
Amaran, a biographical film, chronicles the life of Major Mukund, who lost his life in 2014 during a counter-terror operation. He married Indhu in 2009, and their daughter, Arshea Mukund, was born in 2011. The story is adapted from India’s Most Fearless: True Stories of Modern Military Heroes by Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh. The film received favorable reviews from critics.
During a celebratory event in Chennai marking the film’s success, director Rajkumar Periasamy explained his decision to omit caste references in the movie. He shared how Mukund’s wife, Indhu, and his parents made certain requests before the film’s production. According to India Today’s Tamil translation, Rajkumar recalled, “Indhu had a single request: she wanted an actor with strong Tamil roots since Mukund was a Tamilian. Sivakarthikeyan fit that perfectly. She also hoped the film would emphasize Tamil culture.”
Likewise, Mukund’s parents asked Rajkumar to portray him primarily as an Indian. Rajkumar reportedly noted, “Mukund’s parents said he always wanted to be recognized as an Indian. He never sought any identity beyond being Indian and Tamilian, even on official documents. They requested he be represented solely as an Indian and Tamilian in the film.”
Rajkumar added that, as a director, the idea of mentioning Mukund’s caste never crossed his mind. He explained that neither he nor the family brought up caste throughout the filmmaking process, and he approached the project as a respectful homage to Major Mukund, a recipient of the Ashoka Chakra.
In the film, Mukund, who came from the Iyengar community, is portrayed as a Hindu without caste references, while Indhu, his wife, is shown as a Christian without further caste details.
Amaran, a biographical film, chronicles the life of Major Mukund, who lost his life in 2014 during a counter-terror operation. He married Indhu in 2009, and their daughter, Arshea Mukund, was born in 2011. The story is adapted from India’s Most Fearless: True Stories of Modern Military Heroes by Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh. The film received favorable reviews from critics.
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