New Delhi: Director Atlee has been making headlines for various reasons. The filmmaker recently received an honorary doctorate from Sathyabama University in Chennai on Saturday evening. On the joyous occasion, the ‘Jawan’ director finally addressed the criticism he had received, calling all his films ‘copied’.
The filmmaker speaking at the event said, “Generally, there’s a perception that the films I make are taken from here or there. But let me tell you about my life today and give an example you can connect with.”
He also revealed that Vijay’s character Michael Rayappan, a gangster-turned-football coach in his 2019 film ‘Bigil,’ was inspired by Jeppiaar, the founder and chancellor of Sathyabama University.
He continued, “Today, when I got the doctorate and they played music from Mersal (2017), I believe I earned this only through honesty, only through love. I promise today that I will make this country proud.”
Internet users have previously noted the striking similarities between the poster of ‘AA22 X A6’ and that of the Hollywood sci-fi thriller ‘Dune’, criticising the director for copying
Atlee also discussed his upcoming untitled film featuring Arjun and Deepika, stating that…, “Kalanidhi Maran sir (of Sun Pictures) is producing this film. It’s one of the most expensive films to be made in our country. We will be using a lot of new technology to make it. I’m dreaming big, and the budget has yet to be locked. The producer will decide the release date.”
In April, it was announced that Arjun’s next film following “Pushpa” would be directed by Atlee. By June, the film’s team revealed that Deepika had also joined the project. Arjun congratulated Atlee on receiving his doctorate and shared his message on social media. “Big congratulations to @Atlee_dir garu on receiving the honorary doctorate. Really happy to see your passion and craft being celebrated at this level. Wishing you many more heights ahead.”
