What's the relation between Jiiva's new film and Karur tragedy
What's the story
Tamil actor Jiiva has issued a public apology for the controversial dialogue "Conditions follow pannungada" in his recent film Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil. The phrase, which translates to "Follow the conditions," was used humorously in the movie but had deeper implications for many viewers. It gained prominence after being used by Tamil Nadu's Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh following the Karur stampede tragedy that claimed 41 lives.
Incident details
The Karur stampede: A tragic incident
The tragedy occurred during a September 2025 rally organized by actor-politician Vijay for his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). As people gathered on the Karur-Erode highway to catch a glimpse of Vijay's convoy, a stampede ensued. While visiting the victims in a hospital, Mahesh said, "Padichu padichu sonnene conditions follow pannunga da (I repeatedly told them to follow the conditions for the rally)," in a video that went viral. His words soon became synonymous with the incident and its aftermath.
Actor's response
Jiiva's apology and explanation for the controversial dialogue
Jiiva uttered the line while promoting the film during a screening, too. However, upon facing backlash, the actor spoke up at a post-release event. He said, "It was a popular phrase, so we included it. The question should be directed to the filmmaker as he suggested that we include the phrase as it was trending." "We believed it would resonate well, and we did receive a positive response. However, we never intended to offend anyone."
Box office performance
The film's continued success amid controversy
Despite Jiiva's apology, many social media users opined that a line uttered in a tragic situation should not have been used as a comic viral reference in the film. The controversy aside, Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil has been performing well at the box office. The Nithish Sahadev film also stars Thambi Ramaiah, Ilavarasu, Prathana Nathan, and Anuraj OB in pivotal roles. The technical team is from the makers of Falimy.