In 2019, film director P A Ranjith sparked controversy after he criticized the king. He said at that time that the rule of the erstwhile king was a dark age for Dalits.
Kamal Haasan supported director Vetrimaaran on No Hindu religion in Chola times statement. The filmmaker s remarks came just a day after the release of the film Ponniyin Selvan: 1 which is based on a fictional novel inspired by Raja Raja Cholan.
BJP leader H Raja has objected to the Tamil director's assertion that Raja Raja Cholan was not a Hindu ruler. Also, actor turned politician Kamal Hassan spoke out in favour.