Karthi rejects Madras as a film about caste, draws flaks for turning a blind eye to caste issues

Karthi is currently gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Japan. During the promotional event of the film, the actor made a comment about casteism in Chennai. He said that growing up in the said city, he “does not know caste.”

Karthi claims Madras is not about caste

When Karthi was interacting with the media during the press conference, questions concerning his 2014 blockbuster Madras came up. Pa Ranjith's second film, Madras, is regarded as one of the most significant Tamil anti-caste films. The actor clarified, though, that he does not believe the film has anything to do with caste. Regarding the wall in Madras, which served as a symbol of caste in the movie, he only saw its political significance.

Karthi said, “To me, the film was about that wall. The director had made something that was like a foreign movie. The story was the hero in it.” When asked if he thought there were no caste issues at all in the real world, the actor added, “I don’t see caste because I grew up in Madras. Even at schools, we only had initials and we asked only for the names. So, I don’t have the concept of caste.”

What is Madras all about? 

Madras film was about a section of North Chennai bounded by a massive wall. A dominant community interprets the wall as a symbol of power, and it ultimately becomes a source of division in the community. Karthi portrayed a local corporate employee who becomes involved in a situation after speaking up for his friend Anbu.

The movie received praise for giving a positive portrayal of north Chennai, which had previously been portrayed as a hotbed of crime. It also questioned regional parties' lack of response to the Dalit communities and caste politics. 

Karthi stated that the term "social justice" was first introduced to him by Pa Ranjith. A lot of people have criticized him for this remark as well, asking how he could have not been aware of casteism or social justice knowing the names of Dravidian leaders Periyar, Annadurai, and M Karunanidhi.