In response, director Mari Selvaraj expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister for lauding his work.
Published Sep 02, 2024 | 4:51 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 02, 2024 | 4:51 PM
Director Mari Selvaraj (middle) with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. (X)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has heaped praises on director Mari Selvaraj’s latest outing, Vaazhai.
Released on 23 August, the film received critical acclaim and also won the hearts of audiences with its authentic portrayal of village life and a touching narrative.
During his business trip to the United States, Chief Minister MK Stalin took time to watch Vaazhai at a popular cinema in San Francisco. Later, he took to social media to share his thoughts about the film.
In his post, the Chief Minister lauded the powerful storytelling and social relevance of the film.
MK Stalin wrote: “I watched Vaazhai in San Francisco, a film based on a true story about the lives of working people and their pain. Creator @mari_selvaraj, best wishes to them. When Shiva was suffering from hunger, Mari put a thousand bananas in our hearts!”
He further added,” “I am happy that the Chief Minister’s breakfast scheme has been created so that no one should have to face hunger. Let’s continue the journey toward change with the hope that the wounds will heal! Will continue to make successful films @mari_selvaraj. Congratulations again to him.”
Chief Minister MK Stalin’s post on Vaazhai boosted the spirits of director Mari Selvaraj, who expressed his gratitude to the former.
In response to the Chief Minister’s praise, director Mari Selvaraj wrote, “From my first film, Pariyerum Perumal followed by Karnan and Mamannan to today’s Vaazhai, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Hon’ble Sir @mkstalin celebrated my work with great love. For this, I express my heartfelt gratitude.”
Vaazhai features a talented ensemble cast: Raghul, Ponvel, Nikhila Vimal, Kalaiyarasan, J Sathish Kumar, Dhivya Duraisamy, and Janaki.
Santhosh Narayanan’s scored its music. The film’s heartwarming soundtrack and compelling narrative contributed a lot to its status as a “must-watch” in contemporary Tamil cinema.
உண்மைச் சம்பவத்தின் அடிப்படையில் உழைக்கும் மக்களின் வாழ்வியலையும் அவர்களின் வலியையும் பேசும் #வாழை-யை சான் பிரான்சிஸ்கோவில் கண்டேன். படைப்பாளி @mari_selvaraj அவர்களுக்கு அன்பின் வாழ்த்துகள்💐
பசியுடன் சிவனணைந்தான் தவித்தபோது, ஆயிரம் வாழைத்தார்களை நமது இதயத்தில் ஏற்றிவிட்டார்…
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 2, 2024
என் முதல் படமான பரியேறும் பெருமாளிலிருந்து கர்ணன் மாமன்னனை தொடர்ந்து இன்று வாழை வரை என் அத்தனை படங்களையும் பார்த்துவிட்டு உடனே அழைத்து பெரும் ப்ரியத்தோடு என் படைப்பையும் என் உழைப்பையும் பெரும் நம்பிக்கையோடு கொண்டாடி வரும் தமிழக முதல்வர் மாண்புமிகு ஐயா @mkstalin அவர்களுக்கு என்… pic.twitter.com/XOIWPqEfmm
— Mari Selvaraj (@mari_selvaraj) September 2, 2024
However, Vaazhai also faced controversy recently. Writer Cho Dharman alleged plagiarism by the film’s makers. He raised serious concerns over striking similarities between its story and one of his short stories written a decade ago—Vazhaiyadi.
Cho Dharman mentioned that his story was inspired by the lives of people in Ponnankurichi. While acknowledging the similarities, the writer also expressed pride that a film echoing his story is being celebrated today.
In response to the plagiarism allegations, Mari Selvaraj stated on his Facebook handle that he read Vazhaiyadi “just now” and encouraged others to read Cho Dharman’s work. He also shared a link to the short story.
Despite the controversy, Vaazhai continues to perform well at the box office. The film’s overwhelming success yet again proved the mettle of Mari Selvaraj as a talented filmmaker and storyteller.
The film raked in a nett collection of approximately ₹22.35 crore in India and ₹30.50 crore globally as of day 10.
As per the Sacnilk website, the Mari Selvaraj directorial collected around ₹14.15 crore in its first week, with the opening weekend contributing significantly to the total amount. During the second weekend, it earned ₹1.5 crore on the second Friday and ₹2.85 crore on the second Saturday.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
