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Published 19:57 IST, June 23rd 2020

Prithviraj Sukumaran's upcoming film on Malabar hero Variyamkunnath sparks hate campaigns

Prithviraj Sukumaran's upcoming movie about a Malabar Rebellion, Variyamkunnath Kunhahamed Haji sparks hate comments from certain religious sects.

Reported by: Anushka Pathania
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South Indian actor Prithviraj Sukumaran recently announced his upcoming film. The actor revealed that he would portray the role of Variyamkunnath, and his film will be directed by Ashique Abu and Muhsin Parari. The film announcement has, however, set off hate campaigns.

Prithviraj Sukumaran's film project on Malabar hero gets hate comments

The film will reportedly tell the story of Variyamkunnath Kunhahamed Haji, who was a 1921 Malabar Rebellion hero. He was shot dead by the British police at Kottakkunnu, Malappuram. The film is a big-budget film that and will be timed to coincide with the centenary of the Malabar Rebellion next year.

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The ring-wing radicals took to social media and started a campaign against the film. They started sending hate comments on Prithviraj and the crew of the movie. The campaigners described Ashique Abu as a ‘Muslim terror sponsor’.

Some of the social media posts spoke against the crew and propagated that their film should not be allowed to be shot. The social media posts said that if the moviemakers went about portraying Variyamkunnath as a Muslim hero against the British, the film should not be allowed to be shot.

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While there were social media posts criticizing the film, some people came in support of the film’s character. Mangalam Gopinath, a veteran Congress leader at Manjeri told a media portal that Variyamkunnath has done many good things. He further said that they have enough proofs to establish that he was not anti-Hindu.

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Moreover, the filmmakers told a media portal that they have examined innumerable documents within and outside the country in the context of 1921 Mapila revolt. The moviemakers further told the portal that their film will be based on recorded history only. One of the filmmakers further told the media portal that everyone in the society had an important role to play in setting the land’s legacy straight.

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Prithviraj took to his social media handle and shared that Variyamkunnath stood up against an empire that ruled a quarter of the world. Moreover, the post shared by Prithviraj further read:

Etched out his own country with an army that waged a never before war against the British. Though history was burned and buried, the legend lived on. The legend of a leader, a soldier, a patriot. A film on the man who became the face of the 1921 Malabar revolution.”

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Image Credits: Prithviraj Sukumaran Instagram

19:57 IST, June 23rd 2020