#FamilyMan2_against_Tamils trend, netizens call for boycott of Amazon services

Written by

Shreya Mukherjee

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Last updated on May 19, 2021, 06:37 pm

After months of delay and making fans wait, makers finally dropped the trailer of The Family Man 2 and announced its release date. But certain scenes in it, where Samantha Akkineni's uniform matches that of LTTE's, haven't sat right with many, who started trending the hashtag #FamilyMan2_against_Tamils on Twitter. Netizens are now demanding that either the show changes its portrayal or gets banned completely.

Main reason: Akkineni's uniform resembled that of the LTTE's

To give you the context, the recently-released trailer introduced Akkineni as the main antagonist, Raji. While some users were impressed with her dialogues, expressions and action scenes, some noticed that her uniform resembles that of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Tamil militant organization. The trailer's mention of an "unexpected coalition" between the "ISI and rebels" worsened things for the show.

'We Tamils are not extremists but freedom fighters'

Assuming that the rebels referred to in the trailer are from LTTE, supported by the fact that Akkineni plays a Sri Lankan Tamilian, many Twitter users came to defend the organization. One user said, "Its seems LTTE portrayed as a extremist organization. We tamils aren't extremist We are Freedom Fighters (sic)." "Don't talk about anything if you don't know about our History," wrote another.

'Linking LTTE to ISIS is a major slander'

Many users announced they will unsubscribe Amazon Prime

Alleging that Tamils were being shown as "thugs," many Twitter users announced that they will be unsubscribing Amazon Prime for endorsing such content. "This series is produced and directed by Hindi racists who have no idea about Tamil community," read another angry tweet. Notably, director-duo Raj and DK wanted a Tamil actor for Raji's role, but Akkineni's "extreme conviction" assured them to book her.

Tamil actors like Mime Gopi are in the cast too

Conspiracy theories about the Telugu actress having some vendetta behind taking up the role have also emerged. Notably, the show has a bunch of Tamil actors like Mime Gopi, Ravindra Vijay, Devadarshini Chetan, Anandsami, and N. Alagamperumal. The primary cast comprises Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, and Sharib Hashmi. It is set to premiere on June 4, but things could change in light of the backlash.