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Vetrimaaran takes indirect dig at Dhurandhar 2, says ‘propaganda films monetise hate’: ‘We know how many people died during demonetisation’
The director was attending the trailer launch of Neelira (a war film), helmed by Someetharan and co-produced by Rana Daggubati. He said Neelira is an attempt to stop spreading hate propaganda.
Vetrimaaran talks about Dhurandhar 2. (Photo: File photo)
Tamil filmmaker Vetrimaaran appeared to take an indirect dig at the “propaganda” surrounding Dhurandhar 2 during a recent event. The director was attending the trailer launch of Neelira, helmed by Someetharan and co-produced by Rana Daggubati. The film is a work of fiction based on the memories of a war child, set against the backdrop of 1988 Northern Sri Lanka. Speaking about the film, Vetrimaaran emphasised the importance of presenting truth to future generations, rather than manipulating history and collective memory to fuel hate-driven narratives.
Vetrimaaran’s indirect dig at Dhurandhar 2
In a strongly worded speech, he said without naming Dhurandhar 2, “This film (Neelira) doesn’t talk about hate or advocate violence. It is not a propaganda film. It is not made to promote an ideology with crores of rupees. It does not aim to monetise hatred or violence to earn Rs 100 crore. On that basis, this is a film that does not caricature any race, community, or religious sect. It presents events without directly criticising anyone. Our writer has done an extraordinary job.”
He further reflected on the role of storytelling in preserving history, adding, “Telling stories from historical moments is one way of passing history to the next generation, because history is often written by those in authority, not by art. Even when we call it art, much of it is influenced by written literature. By telling such stories, we can protect the truth—because over time, everything risks becoming propaganda, and propaganda has the power to manipulate memory. Our memory is very fickle.”
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Vetrimaaran on portrayal of demonetisation in films
Without naming the film, Vetrimaaran also alluded to the portrayal of demonetisation in mainstream cinema. “We all know how demonetisation affected us. We are aware of the number of people who died while standing in queues to exchange money. But it is very easy to alter its impact through cinema. So what can we do against hate propaganda? We make films like this. We must use memory in the right way to spark meaningful conversations,” he said.
Dhurandhar 2 presents the 2016 demonetisation as a targeted national security operation.
The filmmaker concluded by thanking Karthik Subbaraj and Rana Daggubati for backing a project like Neelira, which, according to him, dares to present truth and counter hate-driven narratives. The film stars Naveen Chandra, Sananth, Kapila Venu, Roopa Koduvayur, and Vidhu, among others.
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This article is based on statements made by a filmmaker at a public event and reflects his personal views and interpretations on cinema and storytelling. References to events, including demonetisation and its impact, are part of broader public discourse and may be subject to differing perspectives and interpretations.
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