Kamal Haasan announced a new film titled Sandiyar and released posters featuring himself holding a sickle. The year was 2003. Soon, a controversy broke out over the title. For Sandiyar, a Tamil word, loosely translates to a rogue, troublesome person. Pro-Dalit Puthiya Thamizhagam Party’s founder K Krishnaswamy objected to the title, saying it extolled a dominant caste.
A day ahead of his 72nd birthday, Kamal announced the title of his next film with SU Arun Kumar. His criticism grew stronger after the film’s title was announced. J Jayalalithaa, who was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu back then, reportedly refused to provide special police protection for the film’s shoot amid threats, even after the film star met her in person. Kamal binned the title and renamed his film Virumaandi. There’s still blood in the poster, but instead of a sickle, this time there’s a gun in his hand. The title is Sandiyar. The actor conceded, stating that his film would be successful even by any other name. Featuring Jagan, Kayal and Nayakam, the film was met with no controversy.
It was released in 2004 and became a massive hit. Cut to 2026. He was proven right when the film grossed almost ₹ 50 crore worldwide, becoming a massive hit. In 2014, Chozhadevan released a film with the title Sandiyar.
This time, even before the title was announced, actor-filmmaker Lenin Bharathi had already questioned why Kamal was starring in a film with the tagline “revenge can only be settled in blood”. “Given that the southern districts are already plagued by caste-based conflicts, caste-motivated murders, and atrocities, producing a film titled ‘#Sandiyar’—a term that incites caste fanaticism and hooliganism—is an act entirely devoid of social responsibility, especially coming from a senior artist like you, @ikamalhaasan,” wrote Lenin.
Puthiya Thamizhagam’s Krishnaswamy had warned that he would disrupt the film’s shooting While objecting to the 2003 title. The term Sandiyar itself has various meanings, including a troublemaker. It has also been used to describe someone with valour, a glorified hero. I don’t know what this is all about. Kamal met Jayalalithaa to seek protection for the film’s shoot, but she refused.
Kamal, however, told the media then: “There are no casteist references in the script. The former CM later told reporters that “films are made for entertainment, and not for creating problems”, insisting that the police force had other affairs to attend to, according to TOI. India Today quoted him as saying, “…[It] threatens to bring back the aruval (sickle) culture, which has claimed many lives in Tamil Nadu.
