Jai Bhim: FIR to be filed against Suriya, Jyotika and Gnanavel following Vanniyar community controversy

Suriya’s Jai Bhim, which was shortlisted for Oscars 2022, has now landed in soup again. The film received rave reviews from across the world, following its release on Amazon Prime Video. But it soon became a subject of controversy due to representation of the minority community in the film. The film makers have now been slapped with a legal notice after the Vanniyar community alleged that the film misrepresented them. 

The latest update regarding the legal battle is that actor-producer Suriya and Jyotika, as well as director T. J. Gnanavel will be slapped with an FIR. A court in Chennai has ordered the police to file an FIR for misinterpreting the community. 

The Vanniyar community alleged that the movie was showing "Vanniyar phobia" and has an “ulterior motive to instigate communal violence between communities.”

As reported by Indian Express, the petition was heard by the court on April 29. None of the accused were present in court and the court directed the police to file an FIR after hearing the arguments of the community. The next hearing is set for May 20. 

The accusations from the community arose after a scene in the film, which showed a calendar with an Agni Gundam (raging fire), an important symbol for the community. This was the cause of the argument that the main antagonist in the film is from the Vanniyar community. 

However, the film has been receiving great reviews and also being appreciated by the international community. The movie’s review on OTTplay reads, “It is spine-chilling to fathom that the sequences in the movie are based on real incidents. A few people from a certain community are taken for granted and denied justice just because they belong to an oppressed class is intimidating to the core, and the film scores brownie points in transporting the pain of the deprived to the viewers.” 

Also featuring Lijomol Jose, Manikandan, Rajisha Vijayan, Prakash Raj, Rao Ramesh and others in supporting roles, the film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.