The trailer and music launch for the upcoming film Thirukkural, directed by A.J. Balakrishnan, was held in Chennai. The event featured a detailed address by Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, who connected the film’s themes to the recent controversy surrounding actor Kamal Haasan’s statements on the origins of the Kannada language.
Citing the backlash Kamal faced in Karnataka for stating that Kannada originated from Tamil, Thirumavalavan referenced historical linguistic research. “They could not accept the idea that Kannada originated from Tamil,” he stated. He then pointed to the work of 19th-century British officials and scholars, including Francis Whyte Ellis and Robert Caldwell, who conducted comparative studies of South Indian languages. “They compared South Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tulu and, based on that, confirmed the view that the root language for all these languages is Tamil,” Thirumavalavan said. He contrasted the continued vitality of Tamil with ancient languages like Pali and Sanskrit, which are no longer in common parlance.
Thirumavalavan also commended the director’s decision to name the film Thirukkural rather than Thiruvalluvar. He noted the historical ambiguity surrounding the author’s life and identity, suggesting that this makes the text itself paramount. “He may have decided to name it ‘Thirukkural’ to give importance to the ideology. The life philosophy he presented is more important than Thiruvalluvar himself,” Thirumavalavan remarked. He described the Thirukkural as a text for “all of humanity” and the “world’s common scripture,” noting its status as one of the most translated books after the Bible, despite not being tied to a specific religion.
Director A.J. Balakrishnan, known for biographical films such as “Kamaraj” and “Welcome Back Gandhi,” explained his approach to the film. He stated that instead of a direct biopic, the film adapts the concepts and teachings within the 1330 couplets, drawing inspiration from M. Karunanidhi’s Kuraloviyam. “We took all the couplets that could be visualized,” Balakrishnan said.
The film features music and lyrics by Ilaiyaraaja. The cast includes Kalaichozhan as Valluvar, Dhanalakshmi as Vasuki, and O.A.K. Sundar as the Pandyan King. The screenplay was written by Sembur K. Jayaraj. Produced by Ramanaa Communications, Thirukkural is scheduled for release on June 27.