Director Karthik Subbaraj has reacted to the criticism surrounding his latest film ‘Dorothy,’ which has sparked conversations online since its release. The film, made in collaboration with music composer Ilaiyaraaja, features Rishikanth, Keerthy Suresh and Sananth in important roles. Centred on gender identity and society’s response to transgender lives, ‘Dorothy’ has generated both appreciation and strong reactions on social media.
Karthik Subbaraj calls X criticism a ‘small world’
Addressing the negative comments on ‘Dorothy,’ Karthik Subbaraj said social media does not represent the complete audience response to a film. When asked about people criticising the movie on X, he said, “Twitter itself is a small world. The people you’re talking about are also a very small world. There are many positive responses to the film. Yaaro oru 4 per tweet pandranganu adhaiye kettutu irukkingale.” He also pointed to what he described as online hatred and said he would rather see the criticism turn into a larger conversation about the film.
Karthik Subbaraj says transgender story can spark discussion
The filmmaker also responded to criticism of the film’s subject and its portrayal of a transgender person’s life. “There’s some online hatred. If someone has a problem with seeing a transgender’s life as just a movie, then that’s their internal problem,” Karthik said. He encouraged those who have concerns about the film to watch it before forming an opinion. “Let them also watch the film. It’ll create a good discussion,” he added. His comments come as ‘Dorothy’ continues to receive attention for taking up a subject that remains relatively less explored in mainstream Tamil cinema.
‘Dorothy’ continues its theatrical conversation
Rather than engaging with individual posts, Karthik Subbaraj said he did not want the online exchange to become an endless back-and-forth. “If I give a punch for their punch, it’ll go on forever,” he said. The director’s response comes at a time when ‘Dorothy’ has been generating discussion both for its subject and performances. The film stars Rishikanth in the lead, with Keerthy Suresh and Sananth also playing key roles, while Ilaiyaraaja has composed the music. As the debate around the film continues, Karthik Subbaraj appears to be treating the differing reactions as part of the conversation created by the movie rather than responding to every individual criticism.