Sarkar Controversy: Young Actor Supports Vijay, Says The Fans Are Not Fools

The dashing Vijay is one of the most revered names in the Tamil film industry and enjoys a strong fan following. Fondly referred to as 'Thalapathy', the soft-spoken star has won the love of the movie buffs thanks to his warm nature, charming personality and impressive body of work. During his illustrious career, he has starred in several blockbusters and this has gone a long way in establishing him as a bankable name. At present, he is in the limelight because of his upcoming film Sarkar. The AR Murugadoss-directed film's first look was released last month and it created a buzz in the industry.

In the first look poster, Vijay was seen smoking. And for some reason, this did not go down well with a set of people. A noted youth leader even went to extent of insulting Vijay and criticising his actions. Now, the Puli actor has finally received support from the industry. During a recent chat with Deccan Chronicle, young actor-director Naveen defended Vijay and said that we need to stop assuming that the common man is a fool. He added that most fans do not follow their heroes blindly and implied that there is no question of the star's on-screen actions encouraging the youngsters to smoke.

"We have to start respecting the common man's maturity level and intellect. He's smart enough to make his own decisions. He is not a fool, and he won't start smoking after watching a star do it. Booze came into existence before art did. And why target one star?," said Naveen.

Well, these are some strong words and are bound to ruffle a few feathers.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that a Vijay film has found itself in the middle an ugly controversy. Last year, Mersal had run into trouble because it featured a dialogue that made fun of GST.

On a related note, Sarkar is a political-thriller and revolves around a crusader who decides to challenge some corrupt politicians. It also features Keerthy Suresh and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar in the lead. Sarkar is slated to hit the screens this Diwali.

So, do you agree with Naveen's take on the Sarkar controversy? Tell us in the space below.