What’s the New Controversy Around “Single”?

Sri Vishnu is known for his calm and controversy-free image, but lately, trouble seems to be finding him no matter what. His recent film Single, which turned out to be a good hit, is now being pulled into another controversy.

Earlier, there was backlash over a dialogue related to Lord Shiva from Kannappa movie in the teaser. Sree Vishnu quickly responded with an apology and removed the line, putting an end to the issue before it escalated. Fans were happy with the way it was handled, especially since the film went on to become a single hit.

However, things didn’t stop there. Now, some Christian community representatives have raised objections, claiming that certain scenes in ‘Single’ portray their community in a poor light. They’ve even threatened to call for a ban on the film and asked their people not to watch it.

According to their claims, a few scenes from his previous film Swag, are also problematic. But if we look at it logically, Indian cinema has long used religious attire and characters for comedy, not just Christianity. For example, Vennela Kishore played the role of a butcher named Mastan in Lakshmi Raave Maa Intiki, and it was well received. Even films like Adhurs, Ready and Seema Sastry had jokes involving Brahmins and other religious identities. These weren’t seen as offensive in the past.

So the real question isn’t about how Sree Vishnu will respond this time, it’s about why these issues are being raised only now, especially after the film has cleared censor board approval. If the censor board didn’t object, why are some people digging through scenes now and demanding changes?

Looking ahead, filmmakers may have to start double-checking scripts during the writing stage to avoid hurting any group’s sentiments even unintentionally. For now, Single continues its successful run and is heading towards the ₹25 crore gross mark. One reason is that the new releases haven’t made much impact, giving Single another strong weekend at the box office.