Muttiah Muralitharan: Biopic on Muttiah Muralitharan Faces a Strong Political Turn | News off the field

CHENNAI: Sri Lanka cricket player of Tamil origin Muttiah Muralitharan it was a terror in the Cricket field as he baffled international cricketers with his wrists spinning out of the breaks over and over again. No wonder he remains the only international cricketer to have scalped 800 Testing grounds, with its victims mostly thrown or perplexed.
But an attempt by his family and close friends to make him immemorial on celluloid with a biopic titled ‘800’ has not only forced the leading candidate to take the test to run for cover, but has also landed an acclaimed and popular Tamil actor like Vijay sethupathi in trouble.
It began on October 8, when the production team, consisting of Movie Train Motion Pictures and Dar Motion Pictures, officially released the first-look poster announcing the biopic with Sethupathi to portray Muralitharan on screen. The actor also took to Twitter to make it official.

Previously, British Tamil singer Teejay, who had appeared as one of actor Dhanush’s two sons in the award-winning director Vetrimaran’s Tamil hit “Asuran,” had turned down the offer to play the role of young Muralitharan, saying that the script for the film also talks about the civil war in Sri Lanka.
That was enough not only for Tamil fringe elements, but also for leading film personalities and politicians to join the fray to demand that Sethupathi step away from the film. For them, the near silence of Muralitharan, when the Sri Lankan army pounced on the Tamils, was a bigger problem than genocide.
They dropped a statement by Dar Motion Pictures that it would be a purely sports biopic that will not harm the sentiments of Tamils.

“It’s difficult to earn a good name in the public. But people have put their love on you quite easily. That was due to the roles he assumed that reflected people’s thoughts in the last mile. You have a long way to go. Why do you want to give your face so that people will remember a traitor forever? Somehow I tried to say no to this project, ”director Bharathiraja told Sethupathi.
While the war progressed on social networks, the actor himself has maintained a stoic silence. But he confessed to a friend that he would be in trouble either way: move on or withdraw.
On Twitter, lyricist Vairamuthu urged Sethupathi to pass up this opportunity for the good of the Tamils.
“Sometimes fame comes from not doing something, instead of doing it. Your career is on the way to growth. Why spoil it? Said Vairamuthu.
Lyricist Tamara, in an open letter to Sethupathi, wrote: “Make a bold decision. Let’s see what happens. Tamils ​​around the world will be behind us. ”
Politicians were not far behind either.
“Muralitharan is a traitor to the Tamil community. Vijay Sethupathi is loved by the masses due to the roles he easily played on screen. He too will be considered a traitor if he goes ahead and takes on the role of Muralitharan in the film, ”PMK founder S Ramadoss said in a statement.