Filmmaker Mathimaran Pugazhendhi is riding high after the blockbuster success of his latest offering, Mandaadi. The Tamil catamaran racing drama stars Telugu actor Suhas alongside Soori in the lead role. While the film is doing extremely well at the box office, many people are unaware that Suhas faced racist comments from people back home prior to the production of Mandaadi.
Speaking at the film's success meet on Thursday, the director recalled how the criticisms affected Suhas deeply during the shoot and how he made a personal promise to address them publicly once the film had proved itself.
“Suhas was feeling very bad during the shoot because of his colour and the racist comments he received from back home. I told him that we would answer them on our success meet stage,” Mathimaran said.
Addressing the people who made those remarks, the director added, “I do not know who made the comments, but to answer, we do not discriminate against our actors based on their colour in Tamil Nadu. You can watch the film and call him back.”
“Here in Tamil Nadu, every house knows Suhas now. His character, Sattapuli, is an emotion. I made a promise to Suhas, and I think I fulfilled it,” he concluded.
About Suhas
Born Suhas Pagolu, the Telugu actor rose to prominence through independent and mid-budget Telugu films that emphasised writing above star power. His breakthrough came with the 2020 film Colour Photo. He received the National Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu for this coming-of-age romance film involving colourism and caste.
Suhas went on to deliver acclaimed performances in Writer Padmabhushan, Ambajipeta Marriage Band and Run, building a reputation as one of Telugu cinema's most consistent actors in the non-star segment. Mandaadi marks his Tamil-language debut.
What We Know About Mandaadi?
Set in the coastal fishing communities of Tamil Nadu, the Mathimaran Pugazhendhi directorial follows the rivalry between two teams in a traditional catamaran race. The sports-action drama follows Suhas and Soori, who start on the same team but go their separate ways, only to reunite for another race.
Soori headlines the film as Mandaadi, with Suhas as his rival Sattapuli. Mahima Nambiar plays the female lead and Sathyaraj, Mithun Jai Sankar, Ravindra Vijay, Bala Saravanan, and Stun Siva, among others, play pivotal roles.
Mandaadi Box office numbers
On its eighth day, Mandaadi collected Rs 3.25 crore net across 3,524 shows in India. This brings its total India gross to Rs 67.03 crore and total India net collections to Rs 57.30 crore. Overseas, the film collected Rs 1 crore on Day 8, taking its total overseas gross to Rs 12.90 crore. The worldwide gross now stands at Rs 79.93 crore, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.
Also Read: Mandaadi Director Mathimaran Reveals What Vetrimaaran Told Him About Shooting At Sea
