Dhanush was in the 2014 movie ‘VIP,’ which is also called ‘Velaiyilla Pattathari’. The movie did well at the box office, and in 2017, Kajol appeared in a successor to it. But the movie was not without controversy. Dhanush, his ex-wife Aishwarya Rajinikanth (who produced and directed the movie), and others were sued in court over a smoking problem.
Cyril Alexander, the person who filed the complaint, said that the VIP sign broke Section 5 of the COTPA Act of 2003. This part of the law makes it illegal to use any kind of advertising that promotes or encourages people to use tobacco goods, like cigarettes. This point was answered by Dhanush and his team, who said that the poster wasn’t meant to be an ad or promotion. They also said that the poster was needed by the rules of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to have warnings against smoking and other things related to tobacco.
The case against Dhanush, Aishwarya, and three other people was thrown out by Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court. The court agreed with Dhanush’s defence and said that the poster could not be seen as an ad or promotion for tobacco goods. The judge said that Section 5 of the COTPA Act did not apply to the case because no one or thing connected to the movie was involved in the trade or contract of tobacco goods.
On the work front, Dhanush is currently getting ready for his next movie, ‘Captain Miller.’
