There is a band-wagon of Tamil celebrities, who like the pro-Tamil outfits have taken offence to the casting of Vijay Sethupathi in Sri Lankan cricketer Muthiah Muralidaran's biopic 800. Latest to join names like director Seenu Ramasamy, director Cheran and lyricist Thamarai is veteran director Bharathi Raja who has gone as far as to call Muthiah Muralidaran 'a traitor'. 

Muthiah Muralidaran whose ancestors from just 2 generations back hail from Tiruchy in Tamil Nadu holds a notorious reputation of siding with the Sri Lankan government in the Sinhalese- Eelam Tamil civil war. His political stance is what is making several people of Tamil descent oppose 800 being made in the language with a Tamil hero like Vijay Sethupathi as the face of it. 

Here's what the celebs had to say to Vijay Sethupathi post the first look, motion poster release of 800:

• Bharathi Raja - “Do you want your face to be forever associated with a racist person and be looked at with hatred by people? Somehow try and avoid being a part of this biopic on the life of a person who hates the Tamil..When our children from Eelam died Muttiah played the fiddle..According to us, Muttiah Muralitharan too is a betrayer..”

• Cheran - "The request of Tamils from all over the world is no to 800 .. This film is not bigger than the people who made you live, their sentiments and the horrendeous event which took the lives of Tamil Eelam people, brother .. Leave it. A thousand other characters are waiting to realize your acting potential."

• Thamarai - "If Muralidaran was only a cricketer and an achiever, no one would objected you playing him on screen. Many had a balanced take on him playing for the Sri Lankan team. In fact, when his playing in the team was criticized during his early years, LTTE's chief Prabhakaran had said, 'Let's not hinder him from playing cricket. Let's take it as one of our boys playing the game'. But then, he became a Sinhalese politician. He became the loudspeaker to Rajapakse who was killing Tamils by the dozen. When Tamil blood was being spilled on Mullivaikkal, he rejoiced terming it as a good day. And he described the laments of Tamil mothers who were searching for their lost children as 'drama'. How could a professional actor like you fail to realize the fact that he was playing a role in the drama staged by the Sri Lankan government to hide its genocide?"

• Seenu Ramasamy - "Tamils worldwide are Vijay Sethupathi's heart. Proof of that is the movie Yaadhum Urae Yavarum Kaeleer which Vijay Sethupathi has acted in. A cure for the Eelam-Tamil soul. Kiss on the palm. Makkal Selva, you are our Tamil property..Why do we need change (the word used for change is a play on Muthiah)? Please Change"