'Turkish Tharkkam' film withdrawn from theatres over alleged threats; what's the fuss about?

In September 2023, a video of a heated argument and physical altercation between actors Lukman Avaran and Sunny Wayne went viral on social media, fueling rumours of a rift between the two stars. However, as many had also speculated, the video was later revealed to be a well-crafted publicity stunt for their film ‘Turkish Tharkkam’ (meaning Turkish Dispute), directed by Nawas Sulaiman.

The clip, which showed the actors trading harsh words and engaging in a scuffle while crew members attempted to intervene, was initially shared by a technician involved in the production.

Mired in controversy

After a brief hullabaloo on social media, the buzz quickly faded, and the film disappeared from public attention until its release more than a year later. Even then, ‘Turkish Tharkam’ failed to make an impact, with reports emerging that many theatres couldn’t gather the minimum audience required to run the show. The film was pulled from most screens the very next day due to poor turnout, according to later revelations.

A week after the film’s release, the production company, Big Pictures, unexpectedly held a press conference in Kochi, announcing their decision to withdraw ‘Turkish Tharkam’ from theatres. They claimed the move was prompted by threats from vested interest groups, who accused the film of containing blasphemous content.

The film’s storyline revolved around a family dispute concerning a Muslim burial, which appeared to have triggered the controversy. The producers subtly implied that Islamic fundamentalist groups were behind the campaign against the film. However, they failed to provide concrete details about the nature of the threats or who had received them.

Meanwhile, right-wing trolls, including the Sangh Parivar-affiliated news channel Janam TV, amplified the issue, stirring up social media discussions for nearly a day.

Criticism from Congress

The issue took a new turn when Congress leader VT Balram criticised the film’s producers on social media.

He condemned them for making unsubstantiated allegations that could potentially incite communal tensions. Balram also questioned their motives, suggesting that the claims might have been a deliberate ploy to garner attention.

“One cannot help but reasonably suspect whether the allegations of blasphemy, threats and the temporary withdrawal were all deliberately orchestrated to save a film that was either destined to fail at the box-office or had already flopped. If that is the case, it is a serious issue – pure irresponsibility. It is an extremely dangerous trend. Islamophobia has a considerable market today, both globally and in India. In recent times, its commercial value has been on the rise in Kerala as well,” Balram wrote on his social media handles.

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Actors speak up

The film’s lead actors, Lukman Avaran and Sunny Wayne, both of whom had featured in the earlier viral video, made statements that further placed the producers in the dock.

In a social media post, Lukman wrote, “The film was withdrawn from theatres after its release, reportedly as a joint decision by the producer and the director, according to my understanding. As an actor in the film, I sought clarification about the reasons behind its withdrawal but I did not receive any clear answers from those responsible. To my knowledge, neither I nor anyone I know associated with the film has faced any threats related to it. Therefore, I wish to make it clear that, beyond being an actor in the film, I have no involvement in the ongoing discussions surrounding it. If there are any ulterior motives behind the controversies surrounding this film, my position is that the matter should be thoroughly investigated."

Sunny Wayne also came up with a similar response.

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No answers

“When I inquired with the producer about the circumstances leading to the withdrawal of the film, I did not receive a clear response. Moreover, I came to know about the film’s withdrawal initially through social media. Regardless of the reasons, such unfortunate situations should have been avoided. Incidents like this will not benefit Malayalam cinema in any way; instead, they are likely to cause harm. This is my humble opinion,” said Sunny Wayne.

Neither the producers nor the director of the film was available for comment on this new development, and no police complaint has been filed as well. The production team announced plans to screen the film for the media, with the intention of addressing the concerns raised and re-releasing it later.

Call for police inquiry

Many observers have expressed concern that the producers are stoking a highly sensitive issue to allegedly promote a film and this can have serious repercussions for Kerala. There are already calls for a police inquiry into the matter, with demands that the producers be held accountable if their allegations are found to be baseless.

“It is truly a time when creative expressions are under threat, with public attacks occurring in various forms. However, this should not be exploited by anyone. Please do not accuse others of non-existent hatred. The forces that bind this nation together have started to weaken; do not completely destroy them,” said Sreejith Divakaran, a political commentator and scriptwriter.

With the lead actors of the film voicing their concerns and demanding an inquiry, the production team is now under pressure to provide answers.