Director Major Ravi's Harsh Reaction to Mohanlal Fans: Your Boycott Doesn't Scare Me

Famous Indian director Major Ravi made very harsh and clear statements against the boycott campaign started by the fans of Mohanlal, one of the biggest stars of Malayalam cinema. Speaking during an interview, the experienced director emphasized that fans are not his source of livelihood and that making films is not a necessity for him to maintain his life. Major Ravi exhibited a self-confident attitude, stating that he has struggled against difficulties many times throughout his career and will not act out of fear of any boycott. He expressed that the fans' decision to do this would not discourage him; on the contrary, he would continue his way by staying loyal to his own life and principles. This outburst reignited the fan-culture debates in the Indian cinema world and caused a wide repercussion.

Ravi also drew attention to his personal successes and financial independence, which are not limited only to the cinema industry, in his speech. Stating that fans do not provide financial support, on the contrary, he expressed that he is not financially dependent on anyone, noting that he has a good pension and a regular source of income. He also said that with his earnings he helped many people around him and that his personal character was built on a very different foundation than cinema. He even reminded that during a period when boycott calls were being made, he entered a political election and was successful, receiving more than 19 thousand votes in a specific region. Through these examples, he argued that real acceptance in society is much more valuable than cinema box office numbers or the reactions of fanatic groups.

The director's memories go back to the release period of "Keerthichakra" (2006), which he made with Mohanlal and is one of the important productions of Malayalam cinema. Before the film was released, it was criticized by some circles as being a military propaganda film and a work similar to an ordinary documentary. However, Vimal, who was the president of Mohanlal's fan club at the time, watched the film and sincerely visited Ravi, stating that the production was wonderful and that it masterfully handled the feeling of patriotism. Ravi said that this visit created great motivation in him and that he welcomed these sincere criticisms, which questioned how much the fight scenes and dialogues in the film would satisfy the audience. This anecdote is of great importance in terms of showing the film crew's belief in producing a quality job despite scattered rumors.

When "Keerthichakra" was released, it achieved immense success at the box office, despite critical expectations and negative propaganda. Major Ravi stated that on the morning of the film's opening day, he left the airport at around 11 AM and went to the cinema hall, but could not get a phone call from anyone and could not understand the situation. Stating that he experienced great joy when his brother called after a while and said that the film was an unstoppable super hit, he noted that he realized his cousin's expressionless face at the airport was actually planned to surprise him. When he arrived at the cinema hall, he saw that the road was closed to vehicle traffic, and a massive crowd wanting to buy tickets for the next session extended all the way to the temple door. In fact, passing through the street, a young man noticed him and announced to those around, saying "Major Ravi is coming," upon which people welcomed him with enthusiasm and carried him on their shoulders, emphasizing that that moment was one of the proudest moments of his life.

The news of the film's explosion spread rapidly throughout the entire Malayalam cinema, and even famous directors of the period such as Joshiy, Shaji Kailas stopped their shootings and went to the cinema to watch the film. Major Ravi stated that the main reason for this great interest was that "Keerthichakra" was seen as a hope after Mohanlal had seven consecutive box office failures. He added to his words that before the film, he heard insults like "a soldier who will ruin this too," but he never compromised on these and did the job he knew, praying that the film would stay in the theater for at least 25 days. Most importantly, he noted that after the film achieved success, a filmmaker named Major Ravi was born, and that old-school cinema fans truly had a great vision. The experienced director, saying that today's fanatic fans do not know what they are doing, concluded his statements by stating that he thinks responding to every negative comment would be a waste of time.