Tamil film industry rubbishes Lankan claim

The Tamil film industry has sharply criticised Sri Lankan Minister for Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Abdul Rishad Bathiudeen’s statement claiming Rajinikanth’s movies received funding indirectly from the LTTE.

Rishad had mentioned, in an interview to Asian Tribune, that a lot of money of the LTTE had benefited Rajinikanth, PMK leader Vaiko and S Ramadoss. He claimed that money from the LTTE was being diverted to a London-based Tamilian to make films with the superstar.

Condemning the remark, Rama Narayanan, president, Tamil Nadu Producers’ Council, said: “There’s no need for LTTE to fund a Rajinikanth film indirectly through anyone. And Rajinikanth is in no necessity to take up a project financed this way. There are a lot of producers here waiting to do a film with him and he will not resort to a project like this. Whoever has claimed it should have done so for cheap publicity, because they know anything about Rajinikanth makes it to the headlines,” he says.

Another producer, on conditions of anonymity, said there was no basis to the claims made, calling them “random, uncalled for” remarks.

Director-producer Ameer, known as a sympathiser of the Eelam Tigers, said these remarks were made only to defame the LTTE, which the people empathised with. “His statement has come without proof. It is only a political statement made with the intention of portraying the Tigers in bad light. This is akin to Harshad Mehta who once infamously said he had bribed former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao for financial favours. By stating this, they have tried to divert our attention,” said the director.

Actor Rajinikanth, who has not worked for a film produced by a London producer so far, chose not to respond to the statement. The actor is currently in Chennai shooting for his flick, Endhiran. His public relations officer said the actor, who was informed of this, did not wish to make any comment.


The closest the superstar came to working with a Sri Lankan producer was for his current film. Endhiran was originally supposed to be produced by Ayngaran International, owned by a Sri Lankan Tamil from London, C Karunamurthy. A leading film distribution network, apart from being a high-budget production house, Ayngaran, however, later backed out of the project. Ayngaran had earlier widely distributed Rajini’s previous blockbuster Sivaji The Boss, in the international market, apart from holding the international rights to his earlier films Chandramukhi and Padayappa.

thanks.expressbuzz