The clarification from Muralidaran comes as several Tamil groups and politicians in Tamil Nadu have urged actor Vijay Sethupathy – who will play the role of the legendary off-spinner in his film – to cancel the project.
Muthiah Muralidaran, the legendary Sri Lankan off-spinner, who is being massively criticised over his upcoming biopic “800” — has rubbished allegations that he celebrated the deaths of innocent Tamil people and made a controversial remark about it in 2009 when the decades-long civil war in the island nation ended.
“I had said that in 2009 — to be the happiest day in my life, having in mind the end of the war and loss of lives on both sides. This (his remark) is being twisted as,’ The day Tamils were killed and heaped was the happiest day in my life’. I had never supported the killing of innocents and I would never do (ever),” Muralidaran said.
The clarification from Muralidaran comes as several Tamil groups and politicians in Tamil Nadu have urged actor Vijay Sethupathy – who will play the role of the legendary off-spinner in his film – to cancel the project.
The former cricketer, explaining why he agreed to the film, said the biopic will bring recognition to his parents and the others who groomed him.
“I know the pain of the war. I grew up in Sri Lanka amid war for over 30 years. My father was hacked when I was seven. Many times, we were on the streets,” Murli added.
There have always been allegations of Tamils being discriminated in the island nation. An armed Lankan Tamil group, the LTTE, had waged an armed struggle for several years, which was crushed by the Lankan forces in 2009. During the final phase of the war against the LTTE, massive human rights violations and deaths of more than a lakh Tamil civilians in bombings had been reported.
“Muthiah played fiddle when Lankan Tamils were dying. What’s the use of achieving as a sportsperson when he laughs when his own people die? As far as we are concerned, Muthiah has betrayed trust,” veteran Director Bharathiraja said, NDTV reported.
However, Dar Motion Pictures, the producers of the film say the film is “purely a sports biography” and it will not showcase any scenes that belittle the struggles Tamils in Sri Lanka.
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