- Actor Parthiban apologised for remarks about Trisha Krishnan after online backlash
- Parthiban said Trisha should 'sit at home' to avoid problems, citing wordplay with Kundhavai
- Trisha condemned Parthiban's comments as crude and lacking knowledge
Actor and filmmaker R Parthiban has apologised for his controversial remarks about actor Trisha Krishnan, a day after suggesting that she should be "made to sit at home", triggering sharp criticism online.
The comments came days after Trisha appeared in public with Vijay, whose wife Sankgeetha has recently filed a divorce plea. According to sources, Sankgeetha has sought dissolution of their marriage, permanent alimony and the right to live in her matrimonial home.
Parthiban had made the remarks at an awards function held around International Women's Day during a rapid-fire segment where images of actors were flashed on a big screen and he was asked to react.
When Trisha's photo appeared, the audience reportedly shouted "Kundhavai", the popular character she portrayed in the film Ponniyin Selvan, in which Parthiban also played a role. Explaining his comment, Parthiban said he used the phrase only as a wordplay to rhyme with "Kundhavai".
"I said she should sit at home to avert any problems," he said, adding that the line drew applause from the crowd, many of whom he claimed were Vijay fans.
Facing criticism, Parthiban issued a statement expressing "wholehearted regret", saying that sometimes inadvertent comments are misunderstood and end up taking centre stage. He claimed he had requested the event organisers not to use that portion of the recording, but a privately recorded video was later leaked.
Stressing that he supports women's freedom, Parthiban said he often reiterates that men and women must "divorce unnecessary restrictions and shake hands with freedom". "Woman is the world's major creative power," he added.
Trisha, however, had swiftly condemned the remarks. "A microphone doesn't make a comment intelligent or humorous. It just makes stupidity louder. Crude words without knowledge say more about the speaker than the person they're aimed at," she said in a statement.
The controversy also comes amid political chatter around Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. At the party's International Women's Day meeting, Vijay appeared to indirectly refer to the issue and the divorce proceedings, telling supporters not to worry about it and saying "it's not worth it" and that he would deal with it.
However, party functionary Ranjana Natchiar criticised Vijay's remarks, saying there was no dignity for women in his speech and warning that he should not become a "bad trendsetter". Vijay is yet to comment on this.