The first look and motion poster of actor Vijay Sethupathi's upcoming movie 800, a biopic on Srilankan cricketer Muthiah Muralidaran was unveiled recently. Pro-Tamil outfits who had already opposed the idea of a Tamil actor portraying a pro-Rajapaksa Srilankan, took to twitter to trend #ShameOnVijaySethupathi as a mark of their strong opposition to the movie.

To the unversed, the Sinhalese-Tamil tension stems from the Sri Lankan civil war which was fought from 1983 to 2009 between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The war was fought by LTTE to create an independent state in the north and the east of Sri Lanka called Tamil Eelam but Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Defense Secretary brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa led the country's armed forces in defeating the Tigers and killing their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Muthiah Muralidaran, a Tamil-Srilankan himself with family hailing from Tiruchy, Tamil Nadu [He is also married to an Indian-Tamil] has notoriously invited the wrath of Tamil-speakers in the past due to several of his pro-Rajapaksa statements. And from the time his biopic was announced with Vijay Sethupathi, both him and the actor have been facing staunch opposition. 

Not at all.
Murali supported the Sinhalese majoritarian policy and supported the Tamil genocide that happened in 2009. Murali is a neo-Nazi sympathizer. that is the problem to be precise. #ShameOnVijaySethupathi

— இரா.பாலா (@rbala7793) October 14, 2020

https://t.co/cCzyVUXEpa

— அஷ்வின் (@ashwin_gounder) October 14, 2020

The real Murali is the head coach of SRH owned by Sun group. Did you boycott Sun family of TV, did you stop watching matches involving SRH and did you raise this issue against DMK whose family members own Sun group? If not, shut up and be sensible for once.

— G Raju (@rajublog) October 14, 2020

The same problem if sharuk or amir act in Afridi's biopic..

— Shivan Sithan (@SithanShivan) October 13, 2020

Unlike what's is portrayed he is not a inspirational figure for war torn Tamils of SL but a lackey of the SL establishment. Sorta like how some Blacks support Trump.

— Confused Indian (@Raspu8n) October 13, 2020

We have notified and requested him. Still no response from his side,in playing d role of a #traitor of the race. So,we are letting it know to the world what's happening.

Why #SSRCase is trending while #Police is enquiring. Thats what happening in this case too.

Don't hurt us

— அஷ்வின் (@ashwin_gounder) October 14, 2020

I think you are out of mind...Boycotting the Biopic film of a genocide supporter and the actor's other movies are not same.

— Gullyboy SG (@ByHaul) October 14, 2020

You disappointed us VJS.#ShameOnVijaySethupathi

— கரி காலன் (@qN3Dr7YamLL8DAH) October 13, 2020

Even after stiff opposition from so many of us if he continues to do this all his movies from now on should be boycotted #ShameOnVijaySethupathi https://t.co/P1BX3dN4aH

— Karthikeyan Giriloga (@kartgirilog) October 14, 2020

Well knowing the consequences he's still goin forward with the movie. My dear Eelam tamils its time to CANCEL and BOYCOTT @VijaySethuOffl https://t.co/b3Fgo2ORpo

— [ லது ] (@la2san7) October 13, 2020

22.6k tweets, let's keep it going

— மணி (@tamizh08) October 14, 2020

I think you should stop with ur cinema news. Don't even know what we Eelam Tamils want. Murali supports war criminals Mahinda & Gota. Sinhala genocidal govt use Murali to white wash their crimes. We don't want @VijaySethuOffl bring that Murali to showed it in our face as saint.

— கடாரம் வென்ற சோழன் (@TorontoPodiyan) October 14, 2020