Vetrimaaran‘s remarks at the Neelira trailer launch have sparked a fresh online storm, with netizens hitting back hard after the director indirectly took a dig at Dhurandhar 2. What made the backlash unusual: even a section of Tamil cinephiles sided against him.
What Vetrimaaran Said at the Neelira Launch
Vetrimaaran did not explicitly name Dhurandhar 2 (officially titled Dhurandhar: The Revenge), but his comments at the Neelira trailer launch left little to the imagination. He warned the audience that “propaganda has the power to influence memory,” citing demonetisation as his example.
He specifically recalled the suffering and lives lost by people standing in queues during the demonetisation period — and pointed to Dhurandhar 2‘s reported portrayal of the policy as a national security move as a case of historical reframing. The remarks went viral almost immediately, with netizens and industry insiders reading them as a direct critique of director Aditya Dhar‘s blockbuster spy thriller.
Netizens Attack Vetrimaaran Over Double Standards
The backlash from netizens was swift and pointed. Many users accused Vetrimaaran of double standards, arguing that he himself makes films driven by a specific political agenda.
They pointed to Viduthalai Part 1 & 2 — which a segment of audiences believes promotes naxalism — and his recurring portrayals of North Chennai and rural Tamil Nadu as areas populated by rowdies. The charge: Vetrimaaran attacks propaganda in others’ work while embedding his own ideological messaging into his films.
Tamil cinephiles — often among Vetrimaaran‘s strongest defenders — were notably vocal in the criticism this time, making the controversy more layered than a simple clash between fan bases.