TN BJP fumes over GST jibe in Vijay film Mersal
The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party is angry at regional superstar Vijay for his movie that ridicules crucial policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The anger comes against the backdrop of another prominent film actor, Kamal Haasan, takes aim at the BJP.
At contention is particularly bits where Mersal – which was Vijay’s biggest Diwali release – mocks the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the Digital India campaign.
“Scenes that convey wrong impression about GST and Digital India should be removed,” said state BJP’s chief TN Soundarrajan on Friday.
Tamil films and politics share a close relationship, with the state’s most prominent figures such as former chief minister J Jayalalithaa having first shot to fame as actors.
The GST is the biggest overhaul of India’s indirect taxation system but has largely been blamed by economists and Modi’s critics for having crippled businesses with its arduous and confusing filing system.
Mersal has been running to packed theatres.
Another BJP leader, youth wing’s SG Suryah, said a scene where Vijay’s character compares India to Singapore is ‘inaccurate’. In the scene, Suryah tweeted, Vijay’s character says Singapore has 7% GST and people get free medical treatment, but Indians do not get it despite paying 28% GST.
BJP’s demand for cutting scenes attracted severe criticism on social media, with people saying it only showed the BJP’s fear.
Mersal has been a sellout success in Tamil Nadu, with industry experts estimating it has grossed ₹42 crore on the first two days in Tamil Nadu alone, which is expected to double over five days.