The Tamil movie Irumbu Thirai starring Vishal and Samantha released on May 11 in Tamil Nadu. Debutante P. S. Mithran directed the film. It revolves around an Indian Army Officer Kathir (Vishal) with anger issues who seek the help of a psychiatrist (Samantha). His efforts to get a bank loan lead him to a hacker named White Devil (Arjun Sarja). The character of the protagonist as a soldier with anger issues sounds similar to that of Allu Arjun in his latest movie ‘Naa peru Surya Naa illu India’. We have to wait until release to know if there are any similarities between the movies.
Protests against the Film
The National party BJP protested against the dialogues and scenes related to the Aadhaar card, Digital India, Demonetization, etc. The Govt provided police protection for the theaters running Irumbu Thirai. Public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Bombay High Court demanding a stay on its release. The court dismissed the PIL a day before the release of the film.
Vishal about the Film
In a recent press meet during promotions of the Telugu dubbed version titled ‘Abhimanyudu’, Vishal condemned the firing in Thoothukudi. It has to lead to the deaths of many people. He said that the News was headlined ‘Democracy has been killed’. The Tamil version had many shows canceled and released amidst protests. He thanked the Police department for their support. The movie Abhimanyudu explicitly discussed ATM frauds, Bank loan scams, Social media data theft, Passport scams, etc. The movie doesn’t criticize any political party or organization but will show the consequences of the Aadhaar card and Digital India.
While talking about the firing in Thoothukudi, Vishal questioned the Tamil Nadu state Government, Central Government, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about who ordered the firing. He told the media that as a voter, he has the right to ask and know the people behind the incident.
Aadhaar Card and Digital India
In the latest Telugu trailer of the movie, there are several dialogues targeting the Aadhaar card and Digital India. Arjun, who played the role of a hacker, says that the people are just numbers (referring to Aadhaar card numbers) to him. He warns Vishal, ‘you are safe as long as you are a number. Don’t try to be a person. Additionally, the trailer didn’t reveal several other scenes. In one scene, bank officials harass a farmer for not returning the loan. Vishal questions him regarding how they can allow the people like Vijay Malya to leave the country with loans of over Rs 9000 crores while harassing the general public and farmers.
The team has confirmed that the explicit discussion of data theft and fraud is intentional. Moreover, it is needed in the present generation. They believe that the movie will create awareness among the audience to be cautious about the use of present technology and sharing of personal data. Abhimanyudu is all set to release on 1st June 2018.
