Despite receiving mixed reviews, Keerthiswaran’s Dude, starring Pradeep Ranganathan and Mamitha Baiju in the lead roles, continues its stellar run at the box office.

Following its release, a scene from the film sparked controversy after Pradeep’s character delivers a vulgar remark when Mamitha’s Kural proposes to him. Audiences criticised the inclusion of such a line between the lead characters. Responding to the backlash, director Keerthiswaran defended the scene (in an interview with Sudhir Srinivasan), saying it was inspired by his real-life friendships and casual conversations between men and women, claiming gender doesn’t influence such exchanges. However, his explanation drew further criticism, with many accusing him of normalising inappropriate behaviour and justifying offensive dialogue under the guise of friendship and realism in filmmaking.

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Now, another scene has become the focal point of discussion, with industry veteran K. Bhagyaraj slamming a different dialogue in the film.

In the scene, Pradeep Ranganathan expresses the view that a woman’s emotions hold greater value than the traditional thali—the nuptial chain worn by married women in India. Reacting to this, veteran filmmaker Bhagyaraj voiced his disapproval (sharing his opinion), stating that both men and women have their own pasts, but marriage represents a new phase built on commitment and companionship. He criticised the scene, saying that the thali carries ‘profound’ symbolic meaning, marking the start of a shared journey where the couple moves forward together. Bhagyaraj added that, while he is unsure who wrote the dialogue, he strongly opposes its ‘negative’ depiction of the thali.

Earlier, director Mohan G had also called the film’s messaging apparently “disgusting and unacceptable.”

Despite all the noise, the film has been embraced by a section of the audience and continues to post strong collections, making Pradeep Ranganathan the first Indian actor to cross ₹100 crore with his first three films (Dragon and Love Today being the previous ones).

Sarathkumar’s compelling performance in a role with shades of grey, along with Sai Abhyankkar’s peppy music, are among the other key highlights of the movie. (With inputs from Agencies)