Sivaji Ganesan fans object to Tovino Thomas' Nadikar Thilakam title, writes to AMMA

A fan association dedicated to the late movie icon Sivaji Ganesan has raised objections to the title of Malayalam star Tovino Thomas' upcoming film, Nadikar Thilakam. The Sivaji Samuga Nala Peravai is spearheading the protest and has penned a letter to the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), urging them to instruct the filmmakers to change the title.

"Nadikar Thilakam - It's not just a name.... It's our life breath.. It's not just a title, It's the Vowel of Tamil cinema. The Title of Nadikar Thilakam is the epithet given by the fans to Sivaji Ganesan, the late penitent son of the Art world who was a beacon of Tamil Cinema. Having the name of Nadikar Thilakam as a title for a Malayalam movie is painful and shocking not only to his fans in Tamilnadu but also to the Tamil hearts who love him all over the world. We feel that having this title for a comedy film is deliberately tarnishing the fame of an ideal hero whom we worship in our hearts," said K Chandrasekaran, the president of Sivaji Samuga Nala Peravai. 

Nadikar Thilakam is an honorary title that has been synonymous with Sivaji Ganesan in the Indian film industry for decades, signifying him as the 'greatest of all actors.'

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The fan association has cautioned AMMA about potential serious consequences if their concerns are not addressed. "The Tamil film world and the Malayalam film world have always had close ties. We want that connection and relationship not to suffer," added Chandrasekaran.

The association has called for the revocation of permission by AMMA to use the title Nadikar Thilakam for the upcoming comedy-drama. As of now, the filmmakers have yet to respond to the matter.

Director Lal Jr is making Nadikar Thilakam on a big scale. It's unclear why the director thought this title, which carries the weight of such a rich cinematic legacy would be apt for his movie. 

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Besides Tovino, the movie also stars Dhyan Sreenivasan, Shine Tom Chacko, Lal, Sreenath Bhasi, Veena Nandakumar, Suresh Krishna, Aju Varghese, and Anoop Menon.