Ameer VS Karthi, Gnanavel Raja: How Paruthiveeran row got Suriya, Sudha Kongara, Samuthirakani involved

PUBLISHED DATE : 27/Nov/2023

Ameer VS Karthi, Gnanavel Raja: How Paruthiveeran row got Suriya, Sudha Kongara, Samuthirakani involved

It all started with director Ameer acknowledging in an interview that he was not invited to the audio launch of actor Karthi’s last film Japan (2023). Ameer gave actor Karthi a memorable debut with Paruthiveeran in 2007, and at the Japan audio event, some if not all filmmakers who had shaped Karthi's career were present. 

 

Japan is a production venture of Dream Warrior Pictures, and the producers from the banner are cousins of actors Karthi and Suriya. Another distant cousin of these actor-brothers duo Suriya and Karthi is KE Gnanavel Raja of Studio Green. Gnanavel Raja is the last known producer of Paruthiveeran (2007), and has an years-long legal battle with Ameer over the production cost of the film. 

 

KE Gnanavel Raja did not let Ameer's dig on Karthi slide by, and retorted alleging that though Ameer had told him that Paruthiveeran would be made at a budget of Rs 2.75 Cr., Studio Green ended up paying Rs 4.85 Cr. Gnanavel Raja also said that director Ameer Sulthan promised to finish Paruthiveeran in 6 months, but the production extended for an additional 2 years. 

 

Director Samuthirakani, who is also an oft-seen character actor in South movies came out in support of director Ameer, since he had worked on Paruthiveeran as an assistant. Lashing out at Gnanavel Raja, Samuthirakani said in a statement, "From where did such audaciousness come?..Quarter-way through the film (Paruthiveeran) you deserted us saying you cannot produce and that there was no money left. Actor Suriya (Karthi's brother) told Ameer to keep the movie for himself...You people are asking receipts for Rs. 1.5 Cr...What was spent was more than that...All of that was Ameer brother's money..." 

 

Ameer on his part responded to Gnanavel Raja's allegations saying, “As the case about Paruthiveeran is still in court, I have, on the advice of my lawyers, chosen not to respond to his (Gnanavel Raja's) allegations and defamatory statements. Because of this, I haven’t been meeting friends from the media.” Ameer also clarified that there was no written agreement between him and the Studio Green producer so violating any 'terms of agreement' was out of the question. He also confirmed Samuthirakani's statements of Studio Green leaving Paruthiveeran production mid-way and said, "I completed the remaining portion of the film (Parthuthiveeran) with my firm, Teamwork Production House.”

 

Director Sasikumar, who is also one of the people said to have lent money to Ameer to complete Paruthiveeran, was the first Tamil film personality to come out in support of Ameer post the slander from Gnanavel Raja. He along with Samuthirakani, Ameer has expressed disappointment over Karthi being a silent spectator of this Paruthiveeran finance row all these years. 

 

KE Gnanavel Raja also went on to do the unexpected in this controversy by unnecessarily rehashing a 18 year old conversation in the public. Actor Karthi and two time National award winning filmmaker Sudha Kongara were once assistants to director Mani Ratnam. Before making his acting debut, Karthi is said to have caught a screening of Ameer directed Raam (2005) along with Sudha Kongara and KE Gnanavel Raja.

KE Gnanavel Raja shared that actor Karthi was only 50% convinced of making a debut with director Ameer while watching Raam starring Jiiva, Saranya among others. The Studio Green producer also added that Sudha Kongara's comment at the time of watching Ram was, "Making is not good". Sudha Kongara however took to X to shut down any Ameer-hate from her side and posted,

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