Jean Paul Lal compares Nivin Pauly's career to Nadikar; netizens are not happy!

Tovino Thomas' film Nadikar is set to hit the big screens on May 3. As the makers and lead stars, Bhavana and Tovino, gear up for the film's release, director Jean Paul Lal has found himself in the midst of a controversy. During a recent media interaction, the director spoke at length about the upcoming film. While describing the outline of the film, he compared actor Nivin Pauly’s career in Mollywood with Tovino’s character in the film. For the uninitiated, Tovino plays David, a superstar who is forced to look within to discover his true self and go beyond the facade of fame.

Jean said that Nadikar is the story of a superstar who, due to his fame, finds himself unable to handle pressure. Drawing comparisons with Nivin Pauly’s career, who became an overnight sensation after the success of Premam, the director explained that Nivin's character in his film undergoes a similar experience. 

“I am not trying to belittle anyone, but when you give 2-3 back-to-back blockbusters, some may struggle with the overnight fame that comes with it. My story is unrelated to this example, but just to make my point, consider Nivin Pauly. When Premam became a blockbuster, the success he achieved was massive and an unbelievable bloom in his career. A normal person might find it difficult to process or manage the fame they have attained. Nadikar revolves around this kind of 'superstar,'” the director explained.

He added, “Nadikar is the story of a common man whose films become blockbusters, following which he receives widespread recognition. The film explores whether he can handle fame and how he manages it.”

Unnecessary jab at Nivin Pauly, say netizens

Right after the video clip went viral, netizens criticised the director for unnecessarily using Nivin Pauly as an example. Many commented that the director's "shady" comparison was unnecessary and praised Nivin Pauly, who had encouraged fans to watch Nadikar during the promotion of his upcoming film, Malayalee From India.

Here’s what Netizens tweeted:

Meanwhile, Nivin Pauly's Malayalee From India is all set to hit the big screens on May 1, while Tovino Thomas’ film Nadikar is releasing on May 3.