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Actor and producer Jyothika has defended her decision to support her husband Suriya’s film Kanguva, despite its failure to impress both critics and audiences last year. Speaking on The Puja Talwar Show, the 46-year-old actress explained that her decision to write a lengthy note in support of the film stemmed from what she called “selective criticism” by the media and the audience.
According to Jyothika, Kanguva was unfairly singled out, even though other big-budget films with similar flaws managed to pass the box office test with positive reviews. She expressed her disappointment, stating that the film received harsher criticism compared to others in the same category.
“I just have a problem with bad films. I have seen an immense number of commercially bad films down South that have done really well (at the box office) and have been reviewed large-heartedly,” She said.
“When it came to my husband’s film, I felt it was reviewed quite harshly. Maybe there were portions that weren’t good; but overall, a lot of effort was put into it. It was one of a kind. So, when I saw harsher reviews for Kanguva than for some pathetic ones, that got to me. I was more upset with the media for not being fair.” she added.
Addresses Harsh Reviews and Box Office Failure
After Kanguva was panned for various reasons, including poor sound design and an underwhelming story, Jyothika took to social media to defend the project. While she acknowledged the criticism about the sound being “jarring,” she argued that the negative reception was excessive.
“I am surprised by the negative reviews from the media and certain fraternities as it’s not done by them to this high level for the most unintellectual big-budget films I have seen earlier with age-old stories where women are stalked, double-meaning dialogues are spoken, and have the most over-the-top action sequences,” Jyothika wrote in her post.
Directed by Siva, Kanguva was a pan-India film made on a massive budget of ₹300–350 crore. Starring Suriya as a tribal leader, the movie also featured Bobby Deol in his Tamil debut as the primary antagonist, alongside Disha Patani.
Despite high expectations, the film failed to perform at the box office, grossing only ₹106 crore worldwide. According to trade reports from Sacnilk, Kanguva became one of the biggest box office disasters in Tamil cinema.
