Doctors Enraged By ‘Mersal’ Encourage Piracy, But Kamal Backs Film

Outraged at the movie’s ‘negative portrayal’ of them, TN doctors are sharing pirated links and calling for boycott.

Poster of Mersal.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/kalakkal cinema)

After BJP, now doctors in Tamil Nadu are also opposing Vijay-starrer Mersal for what they see as portraying them in poor light. Several doctors associated with the Indian Medical Association in Tamil Nadu have been allegedly sharing links of the movie on a pirated website through social media and asking professionals and paramedical staff to boycott the movie or not to watch it in theatres, reported Pushpa Narayan of The Times of India.

The doctors are calling this a ‘silent protest’ for portraying them in poor light. Indian Medical Association President Dr TN Ravishankar told The Times of India that they decided not to approach the media or court, instead they will give publicity to the movie by sharing it on webpages, so that its collections take a hit.

One of the scenes that the doctors are displeased with is in which actor Vijay says that people go to private hospitals instead of government hospitals only because the government doctors they fail to provide good services. He also says doctors in the profession make money.

The association has also asked for support from other organisations like Association of Physicians of India, Federation of Obstetrics, Gynaecology Society of India and Radiologists and Imaging Association, reported TOI.

Meanwhile, actor Kamal Haasan tweeted that the movie should not be re-censored after the BJP demanded that the dialogues against GST and Digital India must be removed from the movie.

This comes two days BJP state president Tamilisai Soundarajan demanded the removal of the scenes related to GST and Digital India.

I haven’t seen the movie, but those who saw the movie say there were factual errors in what was said. The scenes on GST and Digital India have been written in such a way so as to create a wrong impression in the minds of people. 

Tamilisai Soundarajan, BJP TN State President, to TNM

She also accused Vijay of spreading false information as he wished to enter politics.

BJP leader H Raja had also tweeted on Friday. “Churches built in TN in last 20 yrs - 17500. mosques: 9700. temples: 370. So, what does Vijay want to stop for the building of hospitals?” reads one tweet. In another tweet, H Raja asks, “When can we expect clarification on Vijay's tax evasion?”

In the movie, Vijay states that people in Singapore are being given free treatment and charges only 7% GST and in India, people are being charged 28 % GST but are not being given any free treatment. 

In response to this, H Raja tweeted, “It's a lie that healthcare is free in Singapore. School education and healthcare is free for the poor in India. Mersal is Joseph Vijayan's opposition to Modi.”

(This article was originally published on The News Minute)

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