Criticism that Major Mukundan’s Caste Was Hidden in Amaran; Director Responds

Amaran, a film based on the life of the brave soldier Major Mukundan Varadarajan, who died in the line of duty for the country, was released on October 31. The film, directed by Rajkumar Periyasamy, stars Shiva Karthikeyan as Major Mukundan. However, some critics, including actress Kasturi, pointed out that the film does not mention Major Mukundan’s caste, leading to controversy. In response to these criticisms, the director has issued a clarification.

Rajkumar Periyasamy explained that before the film began, Major Mukundan’s wife Indu and his parents had shared some important details with him. One of the key requests made by Indu was that the actor portraying Major Mukundan should have strong Tamil roots, as he was a Tamil. Rajkumar stated that by casting Shiva Karthikeyan, he had fulfilled this request.

The director further clarified that Major Mukundan’s parents described him as someone who wanted to be known as an Indian first, and they emphasized that his identity was always centered around being an “Indian” and “Tamil” in his certificates. Hence, Rajkumar did not feel the need to mention Major Mukundan’s caste in the film, he explained. Actress Kasturi had accused the film of intentionally hiding Major Mukundan’s Brahmin identity.