MIRUGAM CREW OBSERVES FAST

N.Thyagarajan

Following the Censor Board removing the bull-fight scenes due to the Animal Welfare Board of India's force in the recently released Mirugam film, the entire film unit observed a fast on Tuesday,opposing the ban of the scene. The film, Mirugam, revolves around a village macho ruffian who ends up becoming an AIDS patient, not because of the bull-fight but due to his own nefarious activities with various innocent girls.

Aadhi, the hero of the film along with producer Karthik Jai and director Samy and other crew members, observed a fast before the government guest house in Chepauk to mark his protest. Karthik Jai told reporters that there should be "no ban of any kind on portraying a sport like jallikattu. Jallikattu is a local sport of bravery and there should be no ban on showing it in films in the future" he said.

The hero and the producer, furious over the Board's action, had threatened to take out a half naked protest march on Christmas day but it was later dropped with the crew opting to observe a fast. According to the crew, the deleted scenes were crucial to the film and had to be removed to obtain a censor certificate to screen in theaters. Even before the film's release, the film had its own share of controversy with Padma Priya, the lead actress of the film, walking out of the sets after being slapped by director Samy for reasons known to him.

And following a complaint from the actress, the Producers' Council after a thorough investigation banned the director from directing any Tamil films for a year's time.

The director's earlier film Uiyer, the story of a woman trying to seduce her brother-in-law, also ran into controversy.