Actor Vijay Sethupathi has opted out of the Muthiah Muralitharan biopic 800 on the request of the cricketer. In a statement that Sethupathi shared on social media, Muralitharan requested him not to go ahead with the film as it would cause more harm to the actor's career.
Sethupathi wrote on Twitter, "Thank you and goodbye".
A translated version of the statement reads, "I am issuing this statement as there has been controversy around my biopic 800. Due to misconception, several people were pressing actor Vijay Sethupathi to drop out of 800 the film. I don’t want one of the finest actor’s in Tamil Nadu to face any kind of trouble, hence I request him to drop out of the project. There should be no obstacles for Vijay Sethupathi in the future because of this movie.
I never get tired of obstacles. I have reached this position only by facing and overcoming obstacles. I accepted this biopic because I thought the movie will inspire and provide confidence to aspiring young cricketers. I am sure that the makers will overcome these hurdles. They have promised me that they will make an announcement regarding this soon. I will stand by their decisions.
I wholeheartedly thank the press, politicians, fans of Vijay Sethupathi, and most importantly, the people of Tamil Nadu who supported me in these circumstances.”
A number of people on social media had called out Vijay Sethupathi after he announced that he would be playing the Sri Lankan Tamil cricketer Muthiah Muralitharan in a movie. This controversy was largely because Muralitharan is seen as a supporter of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was at the helm during almost 30 years of civil war that gripped the island nation. The war affected the Malayaga Tamils, with Indian-lineage, to a great extent.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)