The song Oru Viral Puratchiye from Sarkar had shots of people burning the freebies offered by the government. This displeased ministers belonging to the then AIADMK government, including Kambur Raju, CV Shanmugam, D Jayakumar and VV Rajan Chellappa, who alleged that the shots insults the government. While the party’s supporters vandalised a few theatres screening the film and staged protests, cops also landed up at the film’s director AR Murugadoss’s doorsteps. While this move received condemnation from many in the industry, the issue was resolved when the makers agreed to remove the shots from the film.
Vijay had also earned the wrath of the party’s late leader Jayalalithaa in 2013 over his film Thalaivaa’s tagline — Time to lead. Citing bomb threats to a few theatres, the then government did not allow the release of the film. Vijay was not even allowed to meet Jayalalithaa. It finally took a video appeal from the star, requesting the CM’s help, for the film to hit screens.
