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Vetrimaaran Slams ‘Hate Propaganda’ Films, Internet Links It To Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar
Vetrimaaran Slams ‘Hate Propaganda’ Films, Internet Links It To Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar
Filmmaker Vetrimaaran stirred conversation at the trailer launch of Neelira after speaking out against what he described as “hate propaganda" in cinema. His remarks quickly caught attention online, with several users speculating that he was referring to Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar franchise.
The comments were made during the promotional event of Neelira, a film inspired by events from the Sri Lankan civil war. While addressing the audience, Vetrimaaran spoke about storytelling, ideology, and the growing influence of propaganda in films, triggering a wave of reactions across social media platforms.
During his speech, Vetrimaaran emphasised the importance of telling one’s own stories and not letting narratives be shaped by others. “Until we tell our stories, our life is what our enemies say they are. We do not have the democracy to tell our own stories," he said, while appreciating the team behind Neelira. He also commended Rana Daggubati for supporting the project.
Drawing a distinction between films driven by ideology and those, in his view, promoting hate, the director added, “This film does not talk about hate. This film does not advocate violence. This is not a propaganda film; it is to uphold an ideology." He further remarked, “There are many films that cost millions of rupees, wishing to earn hundreds of crores with violence or hatred. This film does not want to sell hate, caricature a race, a community, or a religious sect."
In a lighter moment, Vetrimaaran asked the makers whether the film had received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification without being sent to the revising committee. After receiving confirmation, he went on to comment on the wider landscape. “Today, everything is turning into propaganda, and propaganda has the power to influence memory. Memory is so fickle because we all know who was the most affected by demonitisation and how many lives were lost when people stood in lines. But we can easily change its impact. So, what can we do against hate propaganda? We have to continue making films like these and keep the memory alive."
His remarks led to immediate reactions online, with many linking his comments to the Dhurandhar films. One user wrote, “#Vetrimaaran indirectly attacks #Dhurandhar2," while others had mixed responses. “Same applies to sir’s movies, btw i love to watch both.See movie as movie," read one comment, while another criticised, “He thinks terrosism is fake, all the attacks orchestrated by them are fake, all the lives, businesses, properties lost are fake."
Some users also defended the Dhurandhar franchise. “Leave abt propaganda. Just make movies as intense as dhurandhar. U will definitely win audience," wrote one, while another questioned, “So, how exactly is viduthalai 2 not propaganda when the train is blown up killing innocents??" A different user added, “Yes and what he does is not propaganda? Every film has some propaganda, at least Dhurandhar wasn’t boring."
The speculation stems partly from themes explored in Dhurandhar: The Revenge, where a storyline links demonetisation to efforts aimed at curbing terrorism and counterfeit currency. The first film released in December last year, followed by the sequel on March 19. Together, the two films have reportedly earned over ₹2447 crore worldwide.
Source: News18
Related Posts: Vetrimaaran hate propaganda comments, Vetrimaaran Neelira trailer, Vetrimaaran propaganda in cinema, Dhurandhar franchise controversy, Vetrimaaran demonetisation remarks
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