One of the most-awaited Tamil films in recent times, 'Thalapathy' Vijay's Varisu is currently in the final stages of filming under Vamshi Paidipally's direction and is gearing up for a grand Pongal release in January 2023. Bankrolled under blockbuster Telugu producer-distributor Dil Raju's Sri Venkateswara Creations banner, the upcoming film has been in the midst of a controversy over the past week after the Telugu Film Producers Council issued a statement about the festival releases. In their statement, the council urged exhibitors to give first preference to straight Telugu films over dubbed releases during festivals like Sankranti and Dussehra after a decision taken by the body in 2019. 

With the announcement by the Telugu Film Producers Council causing some talk in the film trade and among fans on social media, Tamil actor-politician, and leader of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Seeman issued a statement on Friday addressing the issue saying the decision to give priority to release only direct Telugu films in Andhra Pradesh during festival days is shocking. He asserted that several Telugu and other language films have been released in Tamil Nadu without any problems and that the stance of the Telugu Producers Association to restrict Tamil films' release will create a negative impact. Seeman urged the immediate withdrawal of the Telugu Film Producers Association's decision against the release of Tamil films, while also stating that failure to do so would result in Telugu films not being allowed to release in Tamil Nadu. 

In that light, blockbuster Tamil filmmakers Lingusamy and Perarasu too shared their views with media persons during an event on Friday about the release controversy surrounding Vijay's Varisu. Speaking on the issue, Lingusamy said, "This is the Golden Age of Tamil cinema. The word pan-India is not new and with the advent of OTT, people from any place in the country are watching films at any time. At such an important juncture, this kind of problem should not happen. This is creating a situation where cinema will change as before and after Varisu. There are people on both sides to discuss this issue and arrive at a solution because S. S. Rajamouli's films have performed here well and our Tamil films too have done well there. This is a small problem and if this issue arises again, we will see what can be done next." 

Likewise, director Perarasu too chimed in with his thoughts on the Varisu release controversy and stated, "There's nobody in Tamil Nadu that said that we will not allow the release of KGF 2 as it would affect the screen count and the collections of Beast. We welcomed both films and they received a great response under the blanket of cinema. Now, if the Telugu producers tell us to push the release of Vairsu, it is wrong. The Film Chamber must intervene and bring a resolution to the issue surrounding the release of Varisu or there are chances that there will be problems for upcoming Telugu films from getting released here."