Dulquer Salmaan tenders apology to Tamils after joke in his film Varane Avashyamund triggers outrage

Actor Dulquer Salmaan has tendered an unconditional apology to Tamils for a joke in his recently released film Varane Avashyamund, which many believe was an attack on slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Taking to Twitter, Dulquer wrote, “A lot of people have brought to my notice that the Prabhakaran joke in Varane Avashyamund is insulting to the Tamil people. It was not intentional. The joke is a reference to an older Malayalam film Pattana Pravesham and is a common meme in Kerala.

“It is a common name in Kerala as well. So, it wasn’t directed at any person living or dead as our disclaimer mentions in the beginning of the film. Most people reacting are doing so without watching the film and are trying to spread hate. Hating on me (sic) and my director Anoop we can accept.

“Kindly keep it to us and not our fathers or senior actors from the film. I apologise to all of the good and kind Tamizh people who felt offended. I have never intended to offend anyone through my films or my words. It’s genuinely a misunderstanding.

“P.S. Some of you are being extremely abusive, threatening, deliberately hurtful and insulting family along with us. I wish that weren’t so. ”

The actor also tweeted a clip from Pattana Pravesham to make his point. He also wrote, “To all those who were offended, I apologise. And I also apologise on behalf of Varane Avashyamund and @DQsWayfarer film. This is the reference to the joke in question.”

The film, which has been produced by Dulquer Salmaan himself and which was released on an OTT platform, has been mired in one controversy after another ever since it released.