'My Main Character Not A Terrorist': Nelson Venkatesan On Row Over His Film Farhana

Aishwarya Rajesh-starrer Farhana was released in the theatres last Friday. The Nelson Venkatesan directorial has been garnering rave reviews from both audience and critics. However, it landed in controversy soon after its release and a section of people demanded a ban. It came after a few outfits alleged that the film has some dialogues that insult Muslim women and the hijab. The makers held a press conference on Saturday related to the issue and the director stated that the main character in the film was not a terrorist.

“My main character is not a terrorist. She wants to keep her family and those around her prosperous. Another important character of mine is a Muslim husband who can support his wife. An Islamic elder who misunderstands his daughter and then has a change of heart. I think that’s enough of a difference. A good example of perversion from faceless people is a YouTube comment. Farhana is a film that speaks to the psychology of basic human beings,” Nelson told the reporters.

The director also mentioned that the controversy started because some people deliberately planned to make the film controversial. He also expressed that he is feeling guilty as the State government had to deploy police forces outside the theatres for the safety of the movie-goers. “Farhana is a film that can be watched normally like other films. We have created this meeting only to inform you that there is no reason for controversy in this,” he added.

Nelson revealed that when the film went to the censor board for certification, the officials told the team that the film should be watched by the family which made them excited.

He also clarified that only in one theatre the film’s show was cancelled due to a technical glitch, not the other way around. According to the makers, the controversy has been a huge setback for the film at the box office.

The film narrates the life of a Muslim woman who belongs to a conservative family and tries to earn extra bread by joining a call centre after the family’s financial condition gets unstable due to her child’s ill health, but soon she realizes that danger is lurking around the corner as she continues to work.

Apart from Aishwarya Rajesh, Farhana features Selvaraghavan, Jithan Ramesh, Anumol, Aishwarya Dutta and Kitty in key roles.