Surya’s Jai Bhim got excellent reviews from all quarters. However the film landed in controversy over a scene where Prakash Raj who acted as DGP Perumal Swamy slaps a person when he was speaking in Hindi and asks him to talk is Tamil. Netizens took exception of it and came with the following response.
“I am really heartbroken after watching #JaiBhim, nothing against actor or anyone but felt really bad, there is a scene in the film where a person speaks Hindi and Prakash Raj slaps him and tells him to speak in Tamil… Honestly this kind of scene was not needed….Hope they cut it (sic),”
However others supported saying “#JaiBhim So hindians Advising that prakash raj slapping scene was unnecessary…Fine..so what abt this scene in scam 1992…Spewing Hate on Tamil using a Tamil character so that it doesn’t look its against Tamil..How cheap…so keep this as a counter for that scene. #hindi #Tamil”
Prakash Raj who acted in the scene, finally responded and came with the following explanation. He said “After watching a film like Jai Bhim, they did not see the agony of the tribal people, they did not see and feel terrible about the injustice, they saw only the slap. That is all they understood; this exposes their agenda. That said, certain things have to be documented.For example, the anger of South Indians on Hindi being forced upon them.”
Elaborating further he said “How else will a police officer who is investigating a case react when he knows that a person who understands the local language, chooses to speak only in Hindi to dodge the interrogation? That has to be documented, right? The film is set in the 1990s. If that character had Hindi imposed on him, he would have reacted this way only. Probably if it came across as more intense, it is also because that is my thought too, and I stand by that thought.”