Vijay Sethupathi made headlines recently when he signed 800, the biopic of legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muthiah Muralitharan. However, the actor has opted out of the biopic now following a request from the cricketer who felt the film will harm his acting career. In a statement, Muralitharan asked the actor to step down since he has been receiving flak for signing the film.
Sethupathi on Monday shared Muralitharan’s statement on Twitter and wrote, “Thank you and goodbye.”Muralitharan in his statement mentioned that the producers will be recasting for the role and that the biopic will soon be available for his fans and general audience.
— VijaySethupathi (@VijaySethuOffl) October 19, 2020
From the Desk of #MuthiahMuralidaran#800TheMovie @MovieTrainMP #MuthiahMuralidaranBioPic pic.twitter.com/kNAnQeJXB5
— Yuvraaj (@proyuvraaj) October 16, 2020
Muthiah Muralitharan’s statement reads, “I am issuing this statement as there has been controversy around my biopic 800. Due to misconception, several people were pressing actor Vijay Sethupathi to drop out of 800 the film. I don’t want one of the finest actor’s in Tamil Nadu to face any kind of trouble, hence I request him to drop out of the project. There should be no obstacles for Vijay Sethupathi in the future because of this movie.
I never get tired of obstacles. I have reached this position only by facing and overcoming obstacles. I accepted this biopic because I thought the movie will inspire and provide confidence to aspiring young cricketers. I am sure that the makers will overcome these hurdles. They have promised me that they will make an announcement regarding this soon. I will stand by their decisions. I wholeheartedly thank the press, politicians, fans of Vijay Sethupathi, and most importantly, the people of Tamil Nadu who supported me in these circumstances.”
A tale of unorthodoxy, ethnicity and genius! #800MotionPoster is out now - https://t.co/c5NpppFFGJ @VijaySethuOffl #MuthiahMuralidaran #MuralidaranBiopic @movietrainmp #MSSripathy #Vivekrangachari @rdrajasekar @SamCSmusic @proyuvraaj
— Movie Train Motion Pictures (@MovieTrainMP) October 13, 2020
A spokesperson for the film clarified on Sethupathi’s cryptic tweet and told a daily, “Yes, Vijay Sethupathi is opting out of the project." The film is directed by MS Sripathy and Sam CS is composing music for the film. The controversy surrounding the film began as soon as it was announced that Sethupathi will be playing the role of Muthiah Muralitharan. This is largely because Muralitharan is seen as a supporter of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was in power during almost 30 years of civil war that gripped the island nation. The war affected the Malayaga Tamils, with Indian-lineage, to a great extent.
Press Release! #800TheMovie pic.twitter.com/d0BMYETRi6
— Movie Train Motion Pictures (@MovieTrainMP) October 14, 2020
The producers of the film had issued a statement a few days back denying the claims that the film has anything to do with politics. They had reiterated the fact that 800 is purely a sports film that highlights the triumphs of the renowned cricketer.
(Source: Twitter/TOI)
