Actor Vishal, who is awaiting the release of his directorial debut Magudam, weighed in on the recent controversial statements made by Leader of Opposition and former Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, noting that it could have been avoided.

Elaborating on what he felt about his remarks and the arrest that followed, Vishal said in a recent interview with Kumudham, "I heard about it and saw it while I was in the studio. They showed it to me there. I watched Udhayanidhi's interview as well. I don't think many people carried or broadcast his full statement. Only a national television channel aired it completely."

However, he noted that certain comments "can be avoided", but added that such developments are part and parcel of politics. "Some things can be avoided. Sometimes people speak because of the situation they're in. That's politics. Speaking from a prepared script is different from speaking spontaneously," he said. Drawing from his own experiences, Vishal noted that even his comments on cinema often become controversial and said political life naturally invites greater scrutiny.

The actor then reflected on his days at Chennai's Loyola College, where both Vijay and Udhayanidhi were familiar faces in different capacities. "We never imagined that one day our senior would send our batchmate to jail. Today, Udhayanidhi is there, Vijay has entered politics, everything has changed," Vishal said.

He acknowledged that the police acted because they believed a mistake had been committed but also pointed out that Udhayanidhi later secured bail and that the issue had since become a matter of public debate. "Perhaps all of this could have been avoided. But if this is politics, what else can we expect? When you're in the opposition and comment on a newly elected Chief Minister, there will naturally be consequences. The same applies the other way around too. We've seen many such examples before," he added.

The controversy erupted after a speech Udhayanidhi delivered at a farmers' protest in Thanjavur on Monday. While criticising Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, a person in the audience shouted the name of a female Tamil actor. Udhayanidhi responded with a remark that many interpreted as a sexually suggestive double entendre, drawing sharp criticism from political parties and social media users.

With multiple cases registered, the DMK leader was questioned at the Sengipatti police station near Thanjavur before being granted bail.