CHENNAI: A Mumbai-based journalist has threatened to file a defamation suit against actor Rajinikanth over his film 'Kaala' which is scheduled to release on Friday. The legal notice sent by Jawahar Nadar's lawyer accuses the superstar of portraying his father, late S Thiraviam Nadar, in a bad light to garner support among the affluent and upper-caste sections of society. Mr Nadar has demanded a written apology within 36 hours since the receipt of the notice, failing which he has threatened to file a defamation suit seeking Rs. 101 crore as damages.
Mr Nadar says his father, a jaggery and sugar merchant from Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district, had moved to Dharavi in Mumbai in 1957 and was nick-named 'Gudwala Seth' and 'Kaala Seth', owing to the goodwill he had earned and was never involved in illegal activities.
When contacted, Rajinikanth's team said that they would give an appropriate reply after the notice is received. They further asserted that 'Kaala' is not about Thiraviam Nadar.
'Kaala', dubbed as the political launch film for Rajinikanth, shows him fighting oppression. At the audio launch for the film, Rajinikanth said "'Kaala' has politics but it's not a political film". On a question about the launch of his party, he said "The time is yet to come (for launch of his party). I have the responsibility. When the time comes all good things would happen to Tamil Nadu".