Jai Bhim row: Armed police officers stand guard outside Suriya’s house in Chennai

Actor Suriya is facing a lot of heat over controversies surrounding his latest Tamil release Jai Bhim. After being issued a legal notice by the Vanniyar community for allegedly tarnishing their reputation in the movie, police protection has been provided to the star’s residence in Chennai. 

Directed by TJ Gnanavel, Jai Bhim stars Suriya as a real-life lawyer who dedicated his life fighting for the oppressed without charging a single penny. 

Recently, a section of the audience took offence to a particular scene in the movie in which a calendar shot features a symbol. To avoid hurting the sentiments, the makers replaced the symbol with a picture of Lakshmi.

On Monday, the Vanniyar community issued a legal notice to actor Suriya over how certain scenes in Jai Bhim have tarnished their reputation. Following the notice, the actor received threats. As per a report by the India Today magazine, five armed police officers have been deployed outside Suriya’s residence.

Jai Bhim shines the spotlight on the innocent and hardworking lives of an oppressed tribe who, even with no land to call their own nor a strong roof over their heads, find joy in the simple things in life. 

The film also stars Prakash Raj, Rao Ramesh, Rajisha Vijayan and Lijo Mol Jose.