Suraj Venjaramoodu's remarks about a sacred thread worn by his co-anchor Ashwathy Sreekanth during a comedy show has not gone down well with a section of netizens. The actor was accused of hurting religious sentiments as the thread is seen by Hindus as a symbol of protection and devotion.
While many came out in support of the actor stating it was just a humorous remark and needs to be taken in the right spirit, others trolled the actor and have called for a boycott of the actor's films and comedy shows.
The controversy broke out after an old clip from Comedy Super Nite, a show hosted by Suraj Venjaramoodu and Ashwathy, surfaced recently on social media. In the clip, which has been circulated several times, Suraj can be heard commenting about the sacred thread tied on Ashwathy's hand. “She is well-dressed in a sari, and has a dash of glamour nonetheless. All fine, except for certain knotted cords on the arm like what you see on certain banyan trees. It reminds one of the banyan tree at Sharamkuthi which has similar knotted adornments. Aren't they an eyesore?,” he said.
Though he had said it in jest, many people accused him of harbouring anti-Hindu sentiments. They have also launched cyber attacks on him, asking him whether he acted in cinemas promoting Hinduism in the past just for money. “If you don't want to wear the thread, fine, but don't make fun of others who do,” one social media user said. Many of them also posted negative comments on his social media pages.
Anju Parvathy Prabeesh, accused Suraj of being a blind pro-Left supporter who believes in trashing the Hindu faith to sound and look intellectual. Another user said Suraj should be ready to apologize for his comments or else there will be many to boycott his shows and movies.
Though Onmanorama tried to contact the actor, he was unavailable for comments.
