Krishnasamy warns of protests against Kamal Haasan’s Sandiyar

Kamal Haasan’s upcoming film with director SU Arun Kumar has landed in fresh controversy. The film, titled Sandiyar, has drawn objections from Puthiya Tamilagam party president K Krishnasamy. He has now given the makers seven days to change the title. He has also warned of protests if they continue using the disputed name.

The film was announced on November 7, coinciding with Kamal Haasan’s birthday. It marks the first collaboration between the actor and SU Arun Kumar, who previously directed Chithha and Veera Dheera Sooran. However, the title has now become a point of contention. Krishnasamy claims that the word carries caste-related associations. He also believes it could create social tensions.

In his latest statement, Krishnasamy issued a seven-day deadline to the makers. He warned that his party would organise protests at the film’s shooting locations if they fail to change the title. This includes protests at studios where the team is currently filming. He has also urged the Tamil Nadu government to intervene in the matter.

Earlier, Krishnasamy met Information Minister A Raj Mohan at the Secretariat. He submitted a formal representation seeking a ban on the title. He also appealed to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to ensure that the film does not reach theatres under the same name. Additionally, he objected to the promotional tagline, “Revenge can be settled only in blood”. He argued that the line promotes violence and vengeance.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Kamal Haasan has faced opposition over the title Sandiyar. In 2003, the actor initially announced a film under the same name. However, Krishnasamy and his party strongly objected to it. The controversy led to considerable opposition at the time. Following the intervention of then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the makers renamed the film Virumaandi.

Krishnasamy has also pointed to Kamal Haasan’s current position as a Rajya Sabha MP and political leader. He believes the actor should exercise greater responsibility while choosing film titles. He has reiterated that the name Sandiyar could be seen as celebrating dominant-caste identity. According to him, this could lead to further social divisions.

Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan is producing the upcoming film under his Raaj Kamal Films International banner, along with R Mahendran. Anirudh Ravichander is composing the music. The technical team includes cinematographer Sunil KS, production designer CS Balachander and stunt choreographers Anbariv. With Krishnasamy’s latest ultimatum, all eyes are now on the makers. It remains to be seen whether they will retain the title or announce a new one.