Chinmayi questions Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan for praising Vairamuthu's Jnanpith win

Singer Chinmayi Sripaada, who named lyricist Vairamuthu during the MeToo movement, has called out actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan for their public praise of the veteran poet after he was selected for the Jnanpith Award.

Singer Chinmayi Sripaada, who was among those who named lyricist Vairamuthu during the MeToo movement, criticised Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan for praising the lyricist after he was selected for the prestigious Jnanpith Award.

In 2018, Chinmayi accused Vairamuthu of sexual harassment, noting that nearly 20 women had also levelled allegations of misconduct against him. She had also compared him to Harvey Weinstein.

In a post on X, Sripada openly criticised the decision and questioned the praise coming from senior industry figures. After the Vikram actor wrote a congratulatory note for Vairamuthu on X, the singer wrote, “For God’s sake P.S.: Men in such power in cinema transitioning to politics, completely turning a deaf ear to women who come on record to say they were molested by “his uncle-mentor” must remind women who vote - that men will never be on our side (sic).”

“The weirdest thing - one of the women in his own party publicly named the Poet. End of the day, men WILL stand by their bros, uncles, dads, friends, mentors. Who cares if multiple women were traumatised? (sic),” she added.

Chinmayi also reacted to Rajinikanth’s post dedicated to Vairamuthu’s Jnanpith Award win. “Ayyyyyyoooo!!! Puriyave puriyaadha??! (Don't understand at all?),” Chinmayi’s post, loosely translated into English, read.

Rajinikanth, in his message, congratulated Vairamuthu for the honour. “My heartfelt congratulations to my dear friend, the esteemed poet Vairamuthu, recipient of the great Jnanpith Award of our Indian nation (sic),” he wrote.