Recently, we reported about prominent figures from Tamil cinema, such as Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, getting criticised for their appreciation of and congratulatory messages for Vairamuthu on his Jnanpith Award win. Singer Chinmayi Sripaada led the way, calling out both doyens of Tamil cinema for siding with a #MeToo accused and not joining the collective voice against him, despite their power and influence within the industry. The latest prominent figure from the Tamil film industry to congratulate Vairamuthu on the award is cinematographer PC Sreeram.
"Wishing Vairamuthu on receiving the Jnanpith Award. A much deserved one," he wrote. Several netizens have been calling Sreeram out for supporting a man who has faced multiple accusations of sexual harassment.
Some of them have also called on Chinmayi to call out PC Sreeram for his latest post about Vairamuthu, just like she did in the case of Kamal and Rajinikanth. The singer has been regarded as a torchbearer when it comes to taking a stance against sexual harassment. She has revealed multiple times that she faced a shadow ban from dubbing in Tamil cinema because of her accusations against Vairamuthu.
Earlier, the poet-lyricist became only the third literary figure from Tamil Nadu to win the award, regarded as the most prestigious recognition in the field of literature in India. The other two Jnanpith Award winners from Tamil Nadu are Akilan and Jayakanthan. Notably, he is the first from the field of poetry to win the award. However, his achievement is marred by controversy.