Thodraa' director receives threatening calls

Filmmaker Bhagyaraj’s former assistant, Madhuraj, has made his directorial debut with Thodraa, a film that deals with the subject of honour killing. The film features Prithivirajan, the son of actor/filmmaker Pandiarajan, and Malayalam actress Veena as the lead pair, and MS Kumar making his debut as a villain. It also has director Venkatesh, Karthik Subbaraj’s father, Gajaraj, and Baby Apoorva playing crucial characters.

Speaking to DC about the project, Madhuraj says, “The film has been granted a U certificate by the Censor Board. It is slated for release on September 7.” He reveals it was his guru, Bhagayaraj who suggested Prithiviraj’s name for the protagonist’s role.

Talking about his lead actor’s dedication, he says, “There’s an action sequence shot in a granite quarry in which the villain hits and kicks the hero’s face. Being a newcomer, Kumar was hesitant about doing the scene, but Prithivi insisted that he should actually hit him and do it properly. He even agreed to several retakes. This will be a turning point in his career.”

Madhuraj adds that he’s been receiving threats because of his film’s controversial subject. “I have been getting threatening calls from people claiming to be upper-caste leaders. They fear that the story is based on one of their recent honour-killing incidents. They’ve warned me of dire consequences if I allow the film to be released. I am in a fix: I don’t know whom to approach,” he says.