Jayasurya’s upcoming film 'Operation Tral' sparks row over ‘RSS’ comment

A social media comment has put Jayasurya’s upcoming film in the middle of a political controversy even before its release. Directed by music composer-turned-filmmaker Ratheesh Vega and backed by Goodwill Entertainments, the film features Jayasurya as a key National Investigation Agency officer involved in a fight against terrorist forces. Its teaser, released last week, has generated quite a buzz on social media, but a comment posted by sound designer Ajayan Adat has now sparked a debate in film circles over the political undertones of the film.

The controversy began after sound designer Vignesh RK shared the film’s teaser on social media. Fellow sound designer and award-winning technician Ajayan Adat responded to the post with the comment, “RSS sh*t (in Malayalam).”

The film’s makers have taken objection to Ajayan’s comment and have approached FEFKA over the matter. They have also filed a written complaint with Cine Audiographers Association of Kerala (CAAK), which is affiliated to FEFKA. In a statement, the makers maintained that the film is not intended as political propaganda. They described it as a story inspired by real events, made with the intention of honouring the courage, commitment and sacrifices of those involved in protecting the country. Meanwhile, Ajayan Adat told Onmanorama that he has no intention of retracting his comment, alleging that the filmmakers are using the controversy as a PR campaign against him. He also said he sees no reason to apologise, as he continues to believe that the teaser suggests the film has a political agenda and portrays Muslims in a negative light.

“We have seen several propaganda films in the past to know what the intention here is,” he said. Ajayan also defended the language used in his comment. “It is not something that I have not used before. We have seen the language that the youngsters used during the CJP protests. This is quite common on social media,” he said.
He said his opposition to the RSS has been consistent and public for years. “I have always been vocal about my intentions and have always spoken against the RSS on social media. My friends know this,” he said. He alleged that he has since faced abuse and threats from people associated with the RSS.

“People have the freedom to say anything. We shouldn’t turn everything into an emotional issue. My film Toxic is also being trolled by a lot of people using foul language, but none of us are reacting to it. This should be handled professionally rather than being used as a PR campaign,” he said.

CAAK, meanwhile, distanced themselves from the issue stating that the remarks were made on a social media platform and possibly originated due to differences of political opinions. Though Onmanorama tried to contact actor Jayasurya and the film director Ratheesh Vega, they were not available for comments. The film will hit theatres this December.