Karthik Subbaraj’s ‘Dorothy’ may have divided audiences online, but the filmmaker says he would rather focus on the conversations the film has started than respond to the negativity around it.

The crime drama, starring Keerthy Suresh, Sananth and Rishikanth, has been praised for its treatment of gender identity, relationships and social attitudes. At the same time, its queer themes have triggered backlash on social media, with calls to boycott the film and criticism aimed at both the filmmaker and members of the cast.

In an interview with Hyderabad Times, Karthik said his biggest hope is that ‘Dorothy’ can encourage audiences to look at transgender people with greater dignity and acceptance.

He said the film was intended to represent experiences that have often been pushed aside in mainstream cinema. According to the filmmaker, transgender characters in Indian films have historically been reduced to comic or stereotypical roles, although representation has gradually begun to change.

Karthik also said that some audience members have told him the film made them reflect on their own behaviour. He recalled seeing men become emotional after watching the film and even express guilt about how they had treated transgender people in the past. For him, that response matters more than the online criticism.

“The film has become a mirror to realities and harsh truths that we often fail to acknowledge,” he said.

Dorothy faces online Backlash

Dorothy was released in theatres on September 25 after receiving a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival. Soon after its theatrical release, however, social media saw a wave of criticism over its LGBTQIA+ themes. The backlash included the hashtag #BoycottDorothy, while some users accused the film of promoting LGBTQ+ ideas.

A dialogue from the film was also taken out of context online and became part of the controversy. Critics interpreted the line as an attack on heterosexual people, while others pointed out that the scene was actually addressing discrimination faced by transgender people.

Karthik has said he does not want to get into a cycle of responding to every negative comment. He recently compared answering every criticism with returning “a punch for their punch”, saying that doing so could continue endlessly.

Rishikanth, Sananth also targeted on social media

The backlash has not been limited to Karthik. Rishikanth, one of the film’s lead actors, has also faced criticism online because of the film’s queer themes.

According to reports, some social media users accused Karthik, Rishikanth and Sananth of pushing “propaganda”, while others questioned whether Rishikanth would lose the goodwill he had built through his recent work.

Rishikanth later spoke about the criticism while discussing his performances in ‘Dorothy’ and ‘Modha Rathiri’, both of which explore ideas of masculinity beyond the usual stereotypes. He said he sees masculinity through qualities such as acceptance, softness, understanding and respect for other people's feelings.

The actor also said he had experienced a similar reaction around ‘Modha Rathiri’. Despite the online negativity, he pointed to the response inside theatres as something that gave him perspective.

Controversy around queer themes

The controversy surrounding Dorothy has also extended beyond individual scenes. Filmmaker Mohan G Kshatriyan appeared to refer to the film while criticising LGBTQ+ representation in Tamil cinema, claiming that such representation was being funded by NGOs to influence young people and “erode” Indian culture. His comments drew criticism online, with several users challenging his claims.

The debate has added another layer to a film that deliberately deals with gender identity, caste, masculinity and social prejudice.

Keerthy Suresh leads the cast

‘Dorothy’ stars Keerthy Suresh alongside Sananth and Rishikanth. Set in the 1990s, the film follows two childhood friends whose lives take an unexpected turn when a woman enters their world. The story eventually moves into questions of identity, relationships, violence and the way society treats people who do not fit conventional expectations.

The film is produced by Guneet Monga Kapoor, Achin Jain and Jyoti Deshpande.