(This article is authored by Alar)

Mansoor Ali Khan, a veteran actor who has been in the Tamil film industry for over three decades, has landed himself in a soup after making derogatory remarks about actress Trisha Krishnan. The actor, who is known for his villainous roles, has refused to apologise to Trisha.

The controversy erupted when a video clip of Mansoor’s press interaction went viral on social media. In the video, Mansoor claimed that he did not share screen space with Trisha in the movie ‘Leo’, which released last month. 

Trisha, who is one of the most popular and successful actresses in the South Indian film industry, did not take Mansoor’s comments lightly. She issued a strong statement on her Twitter account, calling Mansoor’s remarks “disgusting, sexist, disrespectful, misogynistic, repulsive”. She also demanded an apology from him and said that she would not tolerate such behaviour from anyone.

However, Mansoor remained defiant and refused to apologise to Trisha. He with an recent interview with Indiaglitz that he did not make any mistake and that he did not belong to a “creed of men who seek apology”. He stated that he believed some individuals with political agendas were attempting to defame him, but he remains committed to focusing on his work and continuing to make positive contributions.

He claimed that he had a good reputation in the film industry and that he had never made any female colleague feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Mansoor also defended his statement by saying that he spoke as an artist and that his comments were not directed at Trisha in any personal way.  "I spoke at the time as an artist. My comments were not directed at Trisha in any personal way. That was never my intention," he added. 

He said that the viral video was edited and taken out of context. He said, "If required I will appear before Nadigar Sangam and Trisha and show them the full video,". The Nadigar Sangam has condemned Mansoor’s comments and has asked him to apologise to Trisha. The association has also said that it will take appropriate action against him if he fails to do so.

Several other actors and celebrities have also expressed their support for Trisha and their outrage over Mansoor’s remarks. The incident has sparked a debate on social media about the sexism and misogyny that prevails in the film industry and society at large.

Many netizens have criticised Mansoor for his insensitive and offensive comments and have praised Trisha for her courage and dignity. Some have also questioned the silence of the leading male actors and directors of the Tamil film industry on the issue.