“Even if a tree wants to be left alone, the wind won’t let it be,” begins actor Suriya in his statement that was shared online.
The Soorarai Pottru star came out with a strongly-worded statement supporting his wife Jyothika’s speech at an award function some time back where she opined that the government and people should ensure that hospitals should be maintained the same way temples are looked after in the State.
Her comments led to a raging debate on social media, which also resulted in a controversy surrounding the mooted release of the actress’ next film, Suriya-produced P on Magal Vandhal on OTT platforms.
“A comment made by my wife Jyothika at an award function long ago has been doing the rounds online and has led to debates as well. Jyothika has put forth the thought that as temples are held in high regard, schools and hospitals should be maintained in the same regard. Some people have been offended by this and equated it to a crime,” Suriya said.
He added, “Such thoughts have also been espoused by spiritual leaders like Vivekanandha. Serving people is like serving God, and this is a belief that has been held in our society for a long time, even by people like Thirumoolar. But those who don’t follow these writings or learning, won’t even try to understand this.”
Suriya went on to state that people of all religions have welcomed the idea that schools and hospitals should be treated akin to temples, and were showing their support to Jyothika, even during these times of the coronavirus pandemic. “My family fully stands with her opinion in the speech, which is inspired by the teachings of spiritual leaders. We wish to teach our children that humanity is more important than religion.”
“I thank all those unknown people who supported us, while many were working overtime to malign our image and assassinate our characters online. The media has been reporting the news correctly which gives me the confidence that good intentions will lead to good deeds,” he concluded.
In the wake of the issue surrounding Jyothika’s speech as well as the proposed idea to release Pon Magal Vandhal on Amazon Prime, the Tamil Nadu Theatre And Multiplex Owners’ Association have threatened to ban films starring Suriya, as well as the films produced by his production company 2D films. However, several producers from Kollywood have backed Suriya’s decision to go ahead with the same.
Published - April 28, 2020 05:10 pm IST
