Director Karthik Subbaraj has publicly responded to the transphobic criticism and boycott calls his latest film Dorothy has received since its theatrical release on Friday. The film, which explores the life of a transgender person against the backdrop of a patriarchal, caste-driven household in 1990s Madurai, has divided audiences online, with a section of social media users accusing the filmmaker of promoting LGBTQ+ ideas and calling for a boycott under the hashtag #BoycottDorothy.

In a recent interaction with media, Subbaraj dismissed the online backlash as unrepresentative of the film’s actual audience. When an interviewer referenced the criticism by quoting the Tamil phrase “Ipdi panritaare” (“Why did he do this?”), Subbaraj questioned the weight being given to these reactions.

“Who are these people?” he asked. When told the comments were from users on X (formerly Twitter), he was blunt. “Twitter is a small world and those who think about my film like what you said belong to a smaller world. But audiences who are watching a movie are bigger. Why should we be talking about that?” he said.

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He contrasted the online negativity with what he has witnessed in theatres. “So many people came up to me and said that the film was good. Please ask about that as well,” he said, adding that media coverage was disproportionately focused on a handful of negative voices. “You are asking me about it based on four people who spoke against it. There’s online hatred. I couldn’t see it among the audience who visited the theatre. But when I go on press tours, people are asking about that specifically.”

Subbaraj addressed the discomfort some viewers expressed about watching a transgender person’s story on screen. Dorothy follows two close friends, Karthi and Subbu, who grow up in a testosterone-driven, patriarchal household in Madurai. One of them eventually comes out as a transgender person, and the film explores the discrimination, violence and social pressure they face in a community that views any deviation from rigid masculinity as a threat.

“If someone has a problem with seeing a transgender’s life as just a movie, then that’s their internal problem. They should also come and watch the film,” Subbaraj said.

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Rather than shutting down the conversation, the director said he would welcome a genuine discussion about the film’s portrayal of gender identity. “We can then have a conversation or debate. That will go towards a solution or discussion,” he said.

He acknowledged that the film has at least succeeded in generating a public conversation about its subject matter, even if parts of that conversation have been hostile. “One good thing is that it has created a conversation,” he said.

He also made it clear he would not engage with online trolls. “If I give a punch for their punch, it’ll go on forever,” he said.

About Dorothy

Dorothy is written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj and stars Keerthy Suresh, Sananth and Rishikanth. The film features an original score by Ilaiyaraaja, his 1,540th film, with cinematography by Thiru. It is produced by Jio Studios and Guneet Monga Kapoor’s Sikhya Entertainment, in association with Subbaraj’s own Dhammam Films.

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The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Centrepiece category on September 12, where it received a standing ovation at the Scotiabank Theatre. It marks the first Tamil film to premiere at TIFF in over a decade.