2.0 producers, Lyca, send legal notice to regional party head for defamatory comments

Lyca Productions, the producer of the Rajinikanth-starrer 2.0, has sent a legal notice to Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi president T Vel Murugan for his alleged comments on a Tamil television channel. Vel Murugan had gone on televsion to allege that Lyca's chairperson, Allirajah Subaskaran, was in nexus with former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.    

Vel Murugan had levelled the allegation in a programme titled 'Kaalathin Kural' (The call of the time), soon after 2.0 actor Rajinikanth announced his decision to cancel his participation in an event held by the production house in Sri Lanka. The actor was set to present 150 houses to Tamils displaced by Sri Lankan civil war. The houses were build by the Gnanam Trust, which is funded by Lyca Productions.

In the notice sent to Vel Murugan through their lawyer, Lyca alleged that Murugan had, with malicious intent, alleged that Subaskaran, Chairperson of Lyca, was involved in a nexus with former Sri Lankan President Rajapakse. Vel Murugan had also accused Subaskaran of acquiring funds through improper means, a portion of which was used to build the houses for charity. 

The charity event was cancelled after Rajinikanth backed out under political pressure. The actor released a letter online in which he mentioned ' if I get a chance to visit Sri Lanka to witness the place of the ‘holy war’, don’t silence me.' 

Read more: Rajinikanth cancels trip to Sri Lanka after protests 

Lyca's lawyer, in his notice, added, "The views expressed by you (Vel Murugan) are without any basis, totally false and misleading and such views expressed by you in the said debate is highly defamatory, and has done harm and injured our client's reputation."

Among other things, the notice said,"In the course of the debate, you, without any basis and with malicious intention, had stated that our client has been sent by the Sri Lankan government to Tamil Nadu to justify their acts of genocide of Eelam Tamils. You had passed innuendos as if our client is having  a relationship with the Sri Lankan government, which is factually incorrect."

Calling upon Vel Murugan to desist from airing said views through any media or in any form whatsoever, Lyca demanded that he tender an unconditional apology in writing within 24 hours of having received the notice. The company also demanded a sum of Rs 10 crore as damages. In the event of Vel Murugan failing to pay the damages, the company has suggested that it would initiate both civil and criminal proceedings against him.

Lyca Productions has produced Shankar's 2.0, starring Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, and Amy Jackson. The film is scheduled for theatrical release on 18 October.