Filmmaker Vetrimaaran Slams 'Hate Propaganda' Films Without Naming 'Dhurandhar2', Vows Good Cinema as the Only Answer

Chennai: Acclaimed Tamil filmmaker Vetrimaaran has launched a sharp albeit indirect attack on Bollywood blockbuster Dhurandhar2, criticising what he called the blatant propaganda embedded in the film — remarks that have since gone viral and sparked a fierce backlash from Sangh Parivar supporters on social media.

The director made the remarks at the trailer launch of his upcoming film Neelira in Chennai, without naming Dhurandhar2 explicitly. Directed by Aditya Dhar and featuring Ranveer Singh in the lead, Dhurandhar2 — whose second instalment recently hit theatres — had already drawn criticism for its perceived political messaging. Vetrimaaran's comments have now sharpened that debate considerably.

"Today, what is demanded are films with propaganda, and such propaganda has the power to influence our collective memory," the director said at the event. "We know who suffered the most during demonetisation. We have heard how many people died standing in queues to exchange their notes. But look at how effortlessly the actual impact of demonetisation has been rewritten." He called films of this nature "hate propaganda" and argued that the only meaningful counter was to make honest, quality cinema and ensure it reached people.

Vetrimaaran has long been one of Indian cinema's most politically vocal filmmakers, consistently using his work to question social inequality and champion the rights of ordinary people. His films have repeatedly challenged caste structures and systemic injustice, earning him a devoted following as well as the persistent hostility of Sangh Parivar groups, who have targeted him before over his anti-caste stances.

Neelira, his new film, is set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war. Vetrimaaran was careful to clarify at the launch that the film does not promote any ideology, nor does it seek to justify hatred or violence in any form.

The video of his remarks spread rapidly across social media, prompting a fresh wave of criticism from Hindutva-aligned accounts. This is not the first time such groups have targeted the director — his unflinching portrayals of caste discrimination in earlier films had already made him a recurring target of organised online hostility.