'Paruthiveeran' issue: 'Suriya 43' director Sudha Kongara reveals how the Muthazhagu character inspired her says THIS is my homage to a master filmmaker

A controversy has been boiling over the past few days in Tamil cinema between filmmaker Ameer and producer K. E. Gnanavel Raja over the film, Paruthiveeran (2007), starring Karthi and Priyamani in the lead roles, which featured music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. For the unversed, there have been unresolved financial issues related to Paruthiveeran, which reportedly was bankrolled by Ameer, with Gnanavel Raja dismissing the claims. Furthermore, in an interview, Gnanavel Raja stated that hit Tamil director Sudha Kongara thought that Ameer's Raam (2005) was not up to the mark.

With the controversy between Ameer and K. E. Gnanavel Raja taking new shape each day, Sudha Kongara on Sunday evening, November 26, took to social media to share her thoughts on how the Muthazhagu character portrayed by Priyamani in Ameer's Paruthiveeran served as an inspiration for the female lead roles in her films, Irudhi Suttru (2016) and Soorarai Pottru (2020). Sudha Kongara started off by saying that Ameer was one of the first people in Tamil cinema to praise her for her Irudhi Suttru starring Madhavan and Ritika Singh. The acclaimed filmmaker further revealed how the Muthazhagu character served as a reference for Madhi in Irudhi Suttru and Bommi played by Aparna Balamurali in Soorarai Pottru, while calling her films her homage to Ameer. It is to be noted that both Ritika Singh and Aparna Balamurali won the Special Mention (Feature Film) and Best Actress National Awards for their performances in Irudhi Suttru and Soorarai Pottru, respectively.

All set to commence work on the tentatively titled Suriya 43 soon, Sudha Kongara wrote on X, "Feb 2nd 2016. I got a call from Ameer Anna .I was driving outside Prasad Studios. I remember the exact moment because he was one of the first and few from the industry to call and praise me for Irudhi Suttru. I just told him one thing then, my Madhi is inspired by Muthazhugu. I went on and on about one of the greatest female characters written by a man! I had made both the actresses who played Madhi and later Bommi watch Paruthiveeran as a reference . And THIS is my homage to a master film maker of Tamil cinema. This is all I have to say." (sic)