Mersal row: Lawyer files police complaint, demands action against actor Vijay

A lawyer in Madurai has reportedly filed a complaint against actor Vijay for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with his dialogues in the recently released Mersal (2017). 

According to sources, the lawyer, Muthu Kumar, in a complaint at the Anna Nagar police station in Madurai, claimed that the actor says in the film: "We don't need to build temples. We need to build hospitals". This, he claimed, hurt Hindu sentiments.

Muthu Kumar also said the actor had spoken against the Centre's goods and services tax (GST) and claimed that the actor had told a series of lies in the film. For instance, the lawyer said Vijay claimed that Singapore offers free education and health care to its citizens. This, he said, wasn't true.

The lawyer, therefore, demanded action not just against actor Vijay but also against several other members of the film unit. 

Meanwhile, a public interest petition has been filed in the Madras high court asking for withdrawal of the certification granted to Mersal for exhibition in theatres. 

The petition, filed by an advocate named Ashwaththaman, said the film's makers had wrongly portrayed the new taxation system. The film, according to him, would have audiences misunderstand the Centre and its initiatives. The petition also demanded the revocation of Mersal's certificate for public exhibition. The plea is expected to come up for hearing shortly.