Dulquer Salmaan issues apology and clarification for Prabhakaran joke in Varane Avashyamund after a section of audience get offended

Actor Dulquer Salmaan was last seen in the film Varane Avashyamund. The film marks his debut as a producer with his production house Wayfarer Films. The film that was released in February, 2020 is currently streaming on Netflix. However, the film landed in a controversy because of a joke which has been interpreted as an attack on slain LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran by a section of the Tamil audience.

Several Tamizh people took to social media platform to call out the film on how it hurt their sentiments. After receiving threats and abuses on social media, Dulquer Salmaan issued an apology. On Sunday, DQ took to his coal media handle issuing an apology after trolls attacked his and director Anoop Sathyan's family as well.

In his statement he wrote,“A lot of people have brought to my notice that the Prabhakaran joke in Varane Avashyamund is insulting to the Tamizh people. It was not intentional. The joke is a reference to an older Malayalam film Pattana Pravesham and is a common Meme in Kerala. It is a common name in Kerala as well so it wasn't directed at any person living or dead as our disclaimer mentions in the beginning of the film. Most people reacting are doing so without watching the film and are trying to spread hate. Hating on me and my director Anoop we can accept. Kindly keep it to us and not our fathers or senior actors from the film."

"I apologise to all of the good and kind tamizh people who felt offended. I have never intended to offend anyone through my films or my words. It's genuinely a misunderstanding. P.S. Some of you are being extremely abusive, threatening, deliberately hurtful and insulting family along with us. I wish that weren't so," he added.

To all those who were offended. I apologise. And I also apologise on behalf of #VaraneAvashyamund and @DQsWayfarerFilm ! pic.twitter.com/erbjftlNbj

— dulquer salmaan (@dulQuer) April 26, 2020

In the said scene, actor Suresh Gopi is walking his dog on a beach along with a child from his colony. In the scene, the child tells Suresh Gopi that it does not matter what you name your pet if it loves you them they will come to you by whatever name you call. After this, Suresh Gopi's character calls his pet dog Prabhakaran and it comes running to him. The dog is named Jimmy in the film.

In another Tweet, Dulquer Salmaan attached a clip from the film Pattana Praveshman which the joke was referred to. "To all those who were offended. I apologise. And I also apologise on behalf of #VaraneAvashyamund and @DQsWayfarerFilm ! This is the reference to the joke in question. The 1988 film “Pattana Pravesham”.

To all those who were offended. I apologise. And I also apologise on behalf of #VaraneAvashyamund and @DQsWayfarerFilm ! This is the reference to the joke in question. The 1988 film “Pattana Pravesham”. pic.twitter.com/7fQrrJRU7u

— dulquer salmaan (@dulQuer) April 26, 2020