Thalaivar 170 [tentative title] is actor Rajinikanth's next movie with Jai Bhim [2021] writer, director TJ Gnanavel. Jai Bhim is a social film based on true life incidents, and back when the movie had released there was strong opposition to how the Vanniyar community was wrongfully portrayed. Vanniyars are the dominant community in the victim's village, they were noted to have helped the family at some point during the case. Jai Bhim depicted its gore villain as belonging to that caste, whereas it wasn't the case in real life.

This led to Vanniyars voicing out their opposition to TJ Gnanavel as going out of his way to depict the community in defamatory light. Filmmaker TJ Gnanavel partially course corrected, but did not issue any apology as was demanded back then. This left the Vanniyars with a bitter taste about the journalist turned filmmaker.

2 years later, TJ Gnanavel has officially begun his second directorial with Rajinikanth under Lyca Productions. The big scale multi-starrer has started shooting at Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala and Rajinikanth is even seen sporting a clean-shaven vintage look for the movie. At this time, the X platform is trending with hashtags such as #VanniyarsBoycottRajinikanth, #VanniyarsBoycottLyca and #VanniyarsBoycottGnanavel.

Seemingly K. Vaidhi, the Tamil Nadu state secretary of the Vanniyar community has denounced Thalaivar 170 and called for people of his caste to do the same.