The makers of the Tamil film Mersal got a major shot in the arm on Sunday night with the superstar of Tamil cinema - Rajinikanth coming out in support of the film on Twitter.
Important topic addressed... Well done !!! Congratulations team #MersalRajinikanth (Twitter)
Rajinikanth’s support to Mersal and Tamil star Vijay comes in the face of the film facing a controversy after the BJP objected to a scene in the film which criticises the GST. According to a report by PTI, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan demanded removal of the "untruths" about the Goods and Services Tax, rolled out by the BJP-led NDA government on July 1, while his party colleague H Raja claimed the film exposed Vijay’s "anti-Modi hatred".
There was more debate and controversy over the film after BJP’s spokesperson and national secretary of the party H Raja declared that the film was a Christian plot to defame the central government since Vijay’s full name is Joseph Vijay. Raja was reportedly also trying to confirm if the film’s producer Hema Rukmani was a Christian too, thus giving the issue a communal tone.
While Rajinikanth hasn’t outrightly commented for or against the GST scene in Mersal or the BJP’s criticism of it, just congratulating the team behind the film and terming it “well done” despite the controversy surrounding it, can be viewed as an important statement in itself.
Earlier, Kamal Haasan had come out in support of Mersal on Twitter as well, asking critics of the film not to re-censor it.
Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan coming together to support Mersal is significant even as the BJP is trying to make inroads in Tamil Nadu by making the film a political and religious issue.
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