Why So Much Hate for Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothy? Too Bold

Dorothy sparks social media debate

Karthik Subbaraj’s indie film Dorothy, starring Keerthy Suresh, Sananth and Rishikanth in the lead roles, was released in theatres yesterday and has received mixed responses from audiences and critics.

Since Dorothy got a lot of appreciation after being screened at the 51st annual Toronto International Film Festival, many cinephiles had huge expectations for it.

However, after watching the film, critics highly praised Dorothy as a solid film claiming that Karthik Subbaraj has delivered his boldest work yet. Furthermore, they also praised the performances of the lead actors, labelling Dorothy as a revolutionary film.

At the same time, because Dorothy is a proper art film, it didn’t land well with general audiences. They suggest that even though the first half was solid with Karthik Subbaraj‘s quirky humour, once the genre shifted in the second half, the film felt flat.

On the other hand, since the film deals with the sensitive subject of LGBTQ+, it has sparked heated discussions on social media. A few people started pointing to a kissing scene between lead actors Sananth and Rishikanth, claiming that Karthik Subbaraj is destroying the Kollywood industry by promoting LGBTQ+ ideas.

Also, they have started trending #BoycottDorothy on X, requesting others not to promote such movies and slamming Karthik Subbaraj for making a film based on the LGBTQ+ community.

In response to these harsh online trolls and criticisms against Karthik Subbaraj, some people are defending him by pointing out that the Malayalam industry has delivered multiple films based on LGBTQ+ themes, including Mammootty starring as a gay man in Kaathal: The Core.

Therefore, they feel that these harsh criticisms against Karthik Subbaraj are pointless and that, at the end of the day, Dorothy has to be viewed simply as a film. They also claim that if people have differing opinions on Dorothy, they should address them through healthy debates rather than attacking the director and boycotting the movie.

Ultimately, with this mix of reactions, Dorothy has sparked heated discussions across social media and many people are sharing their perspectives on them.