
Jayam Ravi’s upcoming movie Comali has landed in controversy. Rajinikanth fans did not react well to a gag about the superstar’s political entry in the Comali trailer and soon, #BoycottComali started trending on social media.
Ravi responded to the backlash by releasing a statement where the actor said that he has always made a conscious effort to not get involved in controversy from the beginning of his career. “My stance and ideologies have only been exhibited in movies through the fictional characters I have played and have never crossed those limits. I have always been cordial and congenial friend to everyone and feel blessed to enjoy the privilege of being regarded as a mutual pal in the industry,” he said.
Jayam Ravi, who is also a self-professed Rajinikanth fan, clarified that the clip was included in a positive light as he was always keen to see the superstar embark on his political journey. He added, “We all grew up watching his movies, his action and style had mandatorily become an inherent part of our nature and there is no way that we would show such disrespect to him in any way or his fans”.
He also noted that Rajinikanth himself has seen the trailer of the film and didn’t take any offence. “What has made him more lovable than before is that he saw the trailer of Comali and appreciated our team for the creative appeal and congratulated us for coming up with a unique idea,” he said.
He concluded, “However, to see that such an ideation without any deliberate intent has been receiving resentments and some negative feedbacks from a section of his fans, we have decided to delete the portion in the movie.”
Apart from outraged fans, even Kamal Haasan has shown his distaste towards the joke and has asked the producer to remove the particular clip.
Producer Ishari K Ganesh on Monday also expressed regret for offending fans of Rajinikanth. “Kamal yesterday expressed displeasure about the scene. I told him that if that scene made you unhappy, I will remove it from the film,” he said.
In the film, Jayam Ravi plays a man who wakes up from a coma after 16 years. Towards the end of the trailer, his friend switches on a news channel, which shows the visuals of Rajinikanth announcing his political entry to show him that it is 2018. Jayam Ravi’s character refuses to accept it as he claims that this is a clip from 1996.
Comali also stars Kajal Aggarwal in the lead along with Yogi Babu, Samyuktha Hegde and KS Ravi Kumar. The film is set to hit the theaters on August 15.