PremiumUnni Mukundan opens up about criticisms faced by Malikappuram and Meppadiyan - 'It broke my spirit...'
Unni Mukundan recently spoke about the criticisms faced by his hit films, Malikappuram and Meppadiyan. The actor revealed that he was accused of spreading propaganda, and it broke his spirit.
Last Updated: 07.05 PM, Mar 15, 2024
Unni Mukundan is now set to release the mystery thriller film Jai Ganesh, in April 2024. The movie marks his first collaboration with director Ranjith Sankar. The leading man, who has also produced Jai Ganesh under his home banner Unni Mukundan Films, recently opened up about his acting career in a chat with The New Indian Express. In the interview, the actor opened up about the criticisms faced by his previous films Malikappuram and Meppadiyan, and how it broke his spirit.
Unni Mukundan reveals he was accused of spreading propaganda
In his interview with TNIE, Unni Mukundan revealed that he was accused of spreading propaganda through his films, after the release of Malikapuram and Meppadiyan. The actor-producer revealed that people called him harsh names like ‘Hindutva terrorist’, which completely broke his spirit. According to Unni, people had a problem with Meppadiyan because a ‘Seva Bharathi’ ambulance was shown in the film. The actor pointed out that there were many films of bigger stars in which the likes of SDPI were featured.
Unni Mukundan also recalled the reports which suggested that the film is funded by political parties. He pointed out how Meppadiyan didn’t receive any good reviews, but eventually, director Vishnu Mohan received a National Film Award for it. The actor-producer actor actor revealed that he was planning to leave Kerala for good if the film fails badly. Unni made this decision because he had pledged his house to make the film. However, the film emerged as a commercial success.
Industry insiders questioned the actor
The actor-producer further revealed that a senior industry member called him and asked why he acted in a film in which he spat on a Muslim guy. Even though Unni Mukundan explained there was no such scene in the film, the senior refused to believe him. He also recalled how a YouTuber bashed Meppadiyan and called in a Sangha Parivar Propaganda film. According to the actor, this review, which was watched by over 3 lakh people, almost killed his film.
Malikappuram was called a ‘Bhakti Padam’
Unni Mukundan further added another major box office hit of his career, Malikappuram was labelled a ‘Bhakti Padam’. The actor-producer revealed that his statement during an interview, where he casually said, “I feel blessed and thrilled that some people saw me as Ayyappan,” was completely blown out of proportion. He added that accusing him of selling propaganda using innocent kids was absolutely heartbreaking.