Director Pravinkanth’s Pulipaarvai has been under pressure from pro-Tamil activists along with Vijay – AR Murugadoss’s Kaththi. Pulipaarvai is the based on the life of Balachandran, son of Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was gruesomely shot by Sri Lankan soldiers. In the film, he was shown wearing LTTE uniform and Tamil organizations have raised objection to these scenes since they believe Balu was just a school student and he was never a part of the war.
“The reason why we had shown Balachandran wearing LTTE fatigues was to showcase his bravery. But this move has been interpreted as showcasing him as a child militant. However, that was not our motive. For, in his introductory scene itself, Balachandran’s character is shown as stressing on the fact that children shouldn’t be used to fight wars. So, scenes in which he is seen wearing LTTE uniform is being changed,” says Pravinkanth of Ratchagan and Star fame to TOI.
“The film was screened to Naam Tamizhar leader Seeman who appreciated the film, but he had a few suggestions to make. He said, ‘In your vision as a director, you have seen Bala as a brave child. But you must also remember that he is a school student.’ The same opinion was expressed by Tamil activist Nedumaran as well. Their suggestions to improve the film are on the same lines as the demands made by Tamil enthusiasts and student organizations. Keeping their feelings in mind, we are changing certain sequences and dialogues,” he added.