Over the weekend, singer Chinmayi Sripada sparked fresh controversy by criticising Indian cinema legends Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth over their congratulatory messages to poet and lyricist Vairamuthu on his Jnanpith Award win.
Taking to social media, the singer condemned their action and doubled down on her opposition to honouring someone accused of sexual harassment. Netizens praised Chinmayi for her bravery in calling out her "heroes" for what she describes as a "deaf ear" to women's safety.
It all started after a netizen mockingly accused Chinmayi of creating an unnecessary stir regarding Rajinikanth's public congratulation message to Vairamuthu.
Chinmayi quickly responded and wrote, "Sri Rajinikanth and Sri Kamal Haasan - are powerful men in the industry, legends who are saying 17 women speaking up about sexual harassment, one of whom got banned in front of their eyes and they did NOTHING with all their power, makes no difference (sic)."
Chinmayi didn't stop there, she went on to say how heartbreaking it is to see icons like Rajini and Kamal maintain such close ties with Vairamuthu. To her, it's a total betrayal of everything they claim to stand for when they talk about protecting women in their political speeches.
Referring to the lack of Internal Complaints Committees in cinema, Chinmayi said, "These are men who have transitioned to politics and give speeches about Women's safety while colluding with a molester WITHOUT PUTTING safeguards of ICCs in their own industry FIRST! Which part of this is not making sense to you?"
She also called out Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM and actor Pawan Kalyan on social media. She wrote, "With due respect - I am pretty sure Pawan Kalyan Garu has no idea about the poet - His office needs to tell him he is wishing 'Complete health and happiness' to a molester named by several women."
About the Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award stands as India's premier literary prize, honouring authors for their lifelong devotion to literature. With this honour, Vairamuthu joins an elite group as the third Tamil recipient and is the first Tamil writer to break through in the last twenty years. Only two Tamil writers have received it to date, Akilan (1975) and Jayakanthan (2002).
Before receiving this honour, Vairamuthu had already been distinguished with both the Sahitya Akademi Award (2003) and the ONV Literary Award (2021).
Meanwhile, Singer Chinmayi remains under an unofficial "shadow ban" from Tamil dubbing, a reaction for speaking out against Vairamuthu. While it was officially attributed to non-payment of subscription fees, Chinmayi has consistently argued in court and the media that this was a cover to sideline her for her #MeToo allegations.
The journey hasn't been easy for Chinmayi ever since her #MeToo allegations. Recently, she was replaced in the Draupadi 2 project. A massive controversy erupted over her participation in a project directed by Mohan G Kshatriyan, who is known for making films with divisive, caste-centric themes.
In May 2025, Chinmayi stunned everyone by performing live on the stage at the audio launch of Mani Ratnam's Thug Life. Her vocals to A R Rahman's "Muththa Mazhai" was massive win for her fans and music lovers.
For the unversed
In the 2018 #MeToo movement, Chinmayi was among the first popular names to level accusations against Vairamuthu, with several other women later sharing similar charges.
Following her allegations, Chinmayi has effectively been alienated from the Tamil cinema Industry. While she's been ready and willing to work, the industry has chosen to look the other way.