Seeman

Early life

Seeman was born in Aranaiyur, Sivaganga, a village in Tamil Nadu, to father Senthamizhan, a member of the Indian National Congress, and mother Annammal. He studied in Government Primary School in Aranayur up to class 5th. He attended K.K. Ibrahim Ali High School from Class 6th to Class 10th and finished his class 11 and 12 in Ilayankudi. He completed his degree undergraduate economics at Dr. Zakir Hussain College in Ilayankudi. Seeman has a brother named James Peter. During his high school and college years, Seeman was enthralled with the ideals of the Dravidian movement. He moved to Chennai to pursue his dream of working in the film industry.

Film career

Seeman took up film direction as a career after being inspired by the films of Bharathiraja and Manivannan. He worked as an assistant director with Bharathiraja and Manivannan. Seeman started his career by directing Panchalankurichi (1996), a village action film starring Prabhu and Madhubala. He collaborated with Prabhu again in Iniyavale (1998), a romantic film which also featured actresses Suvalakshmi, Gouthami and Keerthi Reddy. Seeman's third film was Veeranadai (2000) with Sathyaraj and Khushbu, which garnered mixed review from critics and underperformed commercially. The failure of his initial films made it difficult for Seeman to attract producers to work on his next films. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, he worked on four other projects, Vaigai Karai Oram with Vijayakanth, Anandham with Karthik, Karma Veerar with Sarathkumar, and Sethupathi Cheemaiyile with Rajkiran, but all failed to develop beyond production.

Seeman then made the village-based vigilante film, Thambi (2006), starring Madhavan in the titular role. The film's production was briefly halted following a disagreement between the actor and director, after Seeman raised an objection to Madhavan returning to be with his family for the birth of his son. The film opened to mixed reviews but performed well commercially. His most recent directorial release, Vaazhthugal (2008), received negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office. A reviewer from Sify noted the "execution is tacky and the final outcome is a dreary and boring message film that leaves you exhausted."

The failure of Vaazhthugal made it difficult for Seeman to find producers and actors to work on his other proposed projects, despite his interest in continuing work as a film director. In the late 2000s, Seeman attempted to make a film titled Pagalavan with either Ajith Kumar or Madhavan starring, but was unsuccessful. Seeman then hoped to make the film with Vikram for director Bala's production studio, but the venture did not materialise. In mid-2010, producer Kalaipuli S. Dhanu agreed to finance the project, and Seeman held talks with Vijay to be a part of the film. The actor later refused to work on the project, which prompted Seeman to speak out against Vijay. In 2013, Seeman approached Jiiva, Jayam Ravi, Arya and Vishal to work on the project, but none of the actors agreed to be a part of the film. In 2017, Seeman was in talks with Vijay Antony to feature in the lead role, and then with Silambarasan in 2018, but both actors later opted to prioritise other projects. In 2017, Seeman announced another project titled Kobam with G. V. Prakash Kumar in the lead role. However, despite an announcement, the film failed to find producers and was stalled.

Since the mid-2000s, Seeman has mostly worked as an actor. His notable roles including supporting characters in Pallikoodam (2007) and Evano Oruvan (2007).

Politics and activism

Early political life and Naam Tamilar Katchi

Seeman addressed Periyar's ideology and caste abolition in the film industry. In the 2006 assembly elections, he campaigned for the DMK alliance, and notably sided with Pattali Makkal Katchi's S. Ramadoss and delivered speeches against the candidature of Vijayakanth. He met with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in 2008 when the Sri Lankan Civil War between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE was looming. Following this, Seeman began to speak out against the killings of several Tamils during Sri Lanka's civil war. Seeman's ensuing speech in Rameswaram marked a turning point in his political career for which he was arrested. He was also detained for continuing to speak out in Erode in favour of the LTTE. He was subjected to the National Security Act, passport block and state monitoring.

Seeman was arrested in March 2009 under the National Security act for speaking in favour of the LTTE and was lodged at the Kalapet prison.

Seeman along with several other activists gathered on 18 May 2009, coinciding the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War at Madurai to form the Naam Tamilar Iyakkam, as a social outfit. It subsequently transformed into a political party named Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).

Seeman was arrested at Chepauk under the National Security Act for making inflammatory speeches at a meeting protesting against the killing of a Tamil fisherman by the Sri Lankan Navy. He was detained at the Vellore Central Prison for five months.

Political activism (2011–2019)

Upon his release from a five-month detention at the Vellore prison in 2011, Seeman actively campaigned for the defeat of the Indian National Congress in the 2011 Legislative Assembly elections. He was neutral on the MDMK and DMK and supportive of the AIADMK. Seeman campaigned in 59 of the 63 places the INC contested in, and the party was defeated in all of those constituencies except one.

Since the 2011 assembly elections, Seeman and his party have been actively involved in various causes such as the anti-nuclear Power plant protests in Kudankulam or the attacks on Tamil fishermen perpetuated by the Sri Lankan Navy that claimed the lives of over 800 fishermen.

During the parliamentary elections in 2014, Seeman stated that the NTK would campaign for the defeat of all candidates fielded by the INC, BJP and DMDK and would support the AIADMK.

In February 2015, the party conceived Veera Thamizhar Munnani, aimed at reviving and recovering age-old Tamil culture and traditions. In September 2016, Seeman was among some 176 people arrested after "attempting to lay siege to Srivaikuntam dam, where desilting works [were] under way as per a directive from the National Green Tribunal".

2016 Tamil Nadu assembly elections

The NTK contested in the 2016 assembly election, with Seeman as the Chief Ministerial candidate from the Cuddalore constituency. The party contested in all the 234 assembly constituencies on its own, in the elections Tamil Nadu and as well as those in Puducherry. Seeman contested in the 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election from Cuddalore constituency and polled 12,497 votes and lost by a low margin, finishing fifth and forfeiting his deposits in the process. The party failed to win a single seat.

2019 Indian general elections

In the 2019 Indian general elections, the NTK contested in all 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, but only won 4% of the vote share, thus losing deposits in all constituencies. NTK fared better in rural areas when compared to urban areas.

Electoral performance

Personal life

Seeman is married to Kayalvizhi, daughter of K. Kalimuthu, former Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from the AIADMK party. The ceremony was held according to Tamil traditions at the YMCA grounds in Nandanam, Chennai in September 2013.

Actress Vijayalakshmi claimed that she was in a relationship with Seeman who she had met on the sets of Seeman's film Vaazhthugal during 2007. In 2011, she filed a police complaint against him for cheating on her after promising to marry her. The pair continued to engage in a public war of words throughout the 2010s, with Vijayalakshmi later attempting suicide in July 2020, blaming Seeman and his supporters of torture. In 2011, Seeman publicly expressed his interest in marrying a Sri Lankan Tamil woman and chose Yarlmathy, a widow of an LTTE fighter, but later did not do so.

Controversies

Seeman has received several threat letters for his support of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other controversial remarks on Indian social issues.

One of the most controversial aspects of Seeman and his political party is that of ethnic purism arbitrarily based on caste lines. He claims the "decline of Tamil people" is due to continuous rule of Tamil Nadu by 'Vandheris' (refers to outsiders or non-Tamils, especially Telugus based on caste and history of immigration) and that the only hope for Tamils is to elect a "real Tamilian" to power.

In November 2009, while on a speaking tour in Canada, Seeman was arrested by the Canada Border Services Agency for giving a hate-filled incendiary speech at an event in Toronto. In the speech, he reportedly talked about restarting the civil war in Sri Lanka, and allegedly said "no Sinhala can live," if the LTTE had taken the same path and bombed 100 Sinhala schools for every Tamil school which was attacked.

In 2013, Seeman invited Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik for one of his public meetings, which drew significant criticism from both the INC and BJP.

While campaigning for the Vikravandi assembly by-election in 2019, Seeman purportedly justified the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, for Gandhi had sent the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka, which would then go on to kill of numerous Tamil civilians. The speech raised criticism from people from all across the political spectrum. Following this event, many charges were booked against Seeman by the police.

In October 2019, Seeman was put under investigation by the Malaysian police over alleged involvement with the LTTE.

Although Seeman openly claims to be a supporter of Tamil Eelam and LTTE, the sincerity behind his proclaimed stance has been questioned multiple times. In a leaked audio, he was caught using profanity against late LTTE fighter Pottu Amman.

In February 2023, during the Erode East Assembly constituency by-election campaign, when talking about the Vijaynagar kings capturing Tamil Nadu, he had mentioned "they brought members of the Arunthathiyar community to this region to do scavenging". He received backlash and his comments also sparked protests by Arunthathiyar outfits. The Election Commission also issued a notice to the NTK seeking an explanation. Seeman was also booked by the Karungalpalayam police, registering a case under three sections. The police added more Indian Penal Code sections to the case due to his claims that "using an iron fist" will "get rid of the problem" of North Indians and Hindi speakers coming to Tamil Nadu for employment during the same speech. He later said that he was not specifically talking about North Indian migrant workers, but instead about M. K. Stalin's alleged falsification of the increase in crimes committed by people from north India living in Tamil Nadu.

While speaking at a demonstration to condemn the 2023–2025 Manipur violence on 30 July 2023, Seeman called Muslims and Christians as "Satan's children" by blaming them that they had consistently voted for DMK and Congress. Despite condemnation from multiple organisations and political parties representing minority communities, Seeman questioned whether Muslims and Christians would begin "voting for me if I apologize for my remarks." Political parties accused Seeman of venturing down a "dangerous path" by adopting the "BJP's language" in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Platform for People's Unity (TNPPU) condemned his statements.

References

References

1. "Seeman Profile".
2. Nath, Akshaya. (16 October 2019). "Vellore: Congress burns effigy of leader who justified Rajiv Gandhi's killing in election speech".
3. (11 February 2020). "Why many believe Rajinikanth has become the BJP's loudspeaker in Tamil Nadu". Scroll.in.
4. "How the Hindu Munnani Seized Vinayaga Chaturthi to Spew Venom".
5. தலைமையகம். (10 September 2016). "மாரியப்பன் தங்கவேலு தமிழினத்திற்கே பெருமை சேர்த்திருக்கிறார் – செந்தமிழன் சீமான் வாழ்த்து". நாம் தமிழர் கட்சி.
6. (13 April 2024). "Tamil Nadu party NTK fields 50% women candidates for 3rd time: Ideology or strategy?". The News Minute.
7. தலைமையகம். (18 May 2010). "செந்தமிழன் சீமான் – தலைமை ஒருங்கிணைப்பாளர்".
8. (4 August 2010). "Brother moves HC over NSA detention of Seeman". The Times of India.
9. (7 February 2010). "Case registered against Seeman". The Hindu.
10. Vijayanad, A. (23 March 2021). "சீமான் வளர்ந்தது எப்படி? திராவிட இயக்கப் பாசம் முதல் தமிழ் தேசியம் வரை". BBC News தமிழ்.
11. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070815073739/http://www.cinesouth.com/cgi-bin/filmography/newfilmdb.cgi?name=panchalanguruchi Panchalanguruchi (1996)]. cinesouth.com
12. (28 April 2000). "Film Review: ''Veera Nadai''". The Hindu.
13. (12 March 2005). "dinakaran".
14. (1 March 2005). "dinakaran".
15. "Behindwoods : "Maddy" Madhavan".
16. "An actor who researches on the Net".
17. "Behindwoods : Madhavan makes amends with the producer's guild".
18. (25 February 2006). "Madhavan returns as Thambi". The Hindu.
19. "Thambi".
20. "Movie Review : Vazhthukkal".
21. "Madhavan is like a family member: Seeman".
22. "It is not Ajith, it is Madhavan - Behindwoods.com - Tamil Movie News - Seeman Pagalavan Thambi Vazhthukkal Ajith".
23. "Vijay - Tamil Movie News - Vijay snatches it from Vikram - Vijay | Pahalavan | Vikram | Seeman - Behindwoods.com".
24. "Vijay Extracts A Promise From Seeman - Vijay - Seeman - Pagalavan - - Tamil Movie News - Behindwoods.com".
25. "What Is The Status Of Pagalavan? - Vijay - Seeman - Tamil Movie News - Behindwoods.com".
26. "Vijay Will Definitely Regret, Says Seeman - Vijay - Seeman - Pagalavan - Tamil Movie News - Behindwoods.com".
27. "Jayam Ravi takes Vijay's role!, jayam ravi, seeman".
28. "Vijay Declines, Vikram Too Follows - Vijay - Vikram - Jiiva - Seeman - Pagalavan - Tamil Movie News - Behindwoods.com".
29. (6 April 2017). "Politician Seeman to direct a film with G.V.Prakash as the hero".
30. (7 January 2019). "Simbu is the real Superstar! - Tamil News".
31. K, Janani. (3 June 2017). "GV Prakash and Seeman unite".
32. (3 June 2017). "GV Prakash, Seeman join hands for Kobam".
33. "Tamil movies : Vijayakanth: Will fortune favour the bold?".
34. "Seeman's remand extended". The Indian Express.
35. (30 November 2012). "ஆய்வுகள்". Tamilkathir.
36. Gopal Ethiraj from Chennai. (15 April 2010). "Seeman to convert his 'Naam Tamilar' into political party". Asian Tribune.
37. "National Security Act slapped on Seeman". The Indian Express.
38. (11 December 2010). "Out of jail, Seeman vows to defeat DMK in polls". The New Indian Express.
39. (20 February 2011). "Naam Tamilar Katchi to work for defeat of Cong in TN, IBN Live News". CNN-IBN.
40. "Seeman changes tune, targets Congress". The Indian Express.
41. "NTK Neutral on Vaiko, to Back Jaya".
42. Sundar, Sidharth Goutham. "Seeman effect on Congress Party". TruthDive.
43. "Seeman tears into Congress". The Indian Express.
44. "Charges a Bid to Ruin Seeman's Image". The New Indian Express.
45. "Kudankulam".
46. Madurai bureau. (16 September 2012). "Fishermen fast goes on for fifth day". The Hindu.
47. "Sathiyam News Agency – CPI would be made political orphans in TN".
48. "DMK, AIADMK target govt on Indian fishermen's arrest in Sri Lanka". [[The Times of India]].
49. (9 February 2015). "Seeman floats youth wing". The Hindu.
50. "Nallakannu, Seeman arrested near Srivaikuntam reservoir". The Hindu.
51. (28 March 2016). "Seeman Sets Campaign Ball Rolling in Cuddalore, Meets Voters". The New Indian Express.
52. Muruganandham, T. (27 March 2016). "One, Two, Three, Four And More CM Aspirants in TN". The New Indian Express.
53. (19 May 2016). "The star losers of Tamil Nadu: Party leaders who could not win their own seat". The News Minute.
54. "General Election to Legislative Assembly Trends & Results 2016". Election Commission of India.
55. (9 April 2019). "Lok Sabha elections 2019: Here are the candidates fighting under Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi in Tamil Nadu". The New Indian Express.
56. (25 May 2019). "Candidates of AMMK, MNM, NTK lose deposit in all LS constituencies". The Hindu.
57. (24 May 2019). "MNM fares well in urban pockets, NTK in rural areas". The Hindu.
58. Subramanian, Lakshmi. (16 May 2021). "How Tamil nationalist Seeman ate into vote bank of Dravidian majors".
59. (8 September 2013). "Seeman ties the knot". OneIndia Tamil.
60. எஸ்.மகேஷ்,மலையரசு. (11 March 2020). "'இனிமேலும் பொறுத்துக்கொள்ள முடியாது!' - சீமான் விவகாரத்தில் கொதிக்கும் நடிகை விஜயலட்சுமி".
61. (4 June 2011). "Case against Seeman". The Hindu.
62. Nair, Shilpa. (9 September 2023). "Actor-turned-politician Seeman asked to join probe in sexual harassment case".
63. (28 May 2020). "There is no limit to Seeman's atrocities: Vijayalakshmi". [[The Times of India]].
64. (2 June 2011). "Tamil actress complains about director Seeman to police". The Times of India.
65. (5 June 2011). "Will find my Lankan Tamil dream girl". The New Indian Express.
66. "Seeman receives threat letter". The Indian Express.
67. (30 May 2019). "In Tamil Nadu, an ultra nationalist politician who often invokes Adolf Hitler is gaining support". Scroll.in.
68. B. MURALIDHAR REDDY. (27 November 2009). "Director Seeman arrested and deported from Canada". The Hindu.
69. (21 May 2013). "Seeman defends Yasin Malik's presence in pro-Tamil meeting". Business Standard.
70. Tamilarasu, Prabhakar. (14 October 2019). "Seeman stirs up a hornet's nest by glorifying Rajiv Gandhi killers".
71. (14 October 2019). "NTK leader Seeman 'justifies' Rajiv Gandhi's killing, booked by police as Congress seeks action".
72. (15 October 2019). "Seeman booked for hailing Rajiv Gandhi's assassination". The Hindu.
73. Palansamy, Yiswaree. (13 October 2019). "Police monitoring pro-LTTE South Indian politician Senthamizhan Seeman".
74. (20 October 2019). "Five men to challenge police detention in Malaysia over alleged Tamil Tiger links".
75. Zolkepli, Farik. (15 October 2019). "Tamil Nadu politician under probe".
76. "பொட்டு அம்மான் குறித்த சீமானின் பேச்சை புலம்பெயர் தமிழர்கள் கண்டிக்க வேண்டும் - வன்னி அரசு - தமிழ்நாடு".
77. (23 February 2023). "EC notice over Seeman's remark on arunthathiyars". The Times of India.
78. (23 February 2023). "Erode (East) bypoll | Seeman booked for making remarks 'insulting' Scheduled Caste community people". The Hindu.
79. Chandrababu, Divya. (13 March 2023). "Tamil Nadu leader S Seeman booked for hate speech against Hindi speakers: Police".
80. Janardhanan, Arun. (13 March 2023). "Tamil nationalist Seeman booked for remarks on north Indians, says 'was not my intention'".
81. ""முஸ்லிம்களே நான் உங்களுக்கு எதிரியாகி விட்டேன்".. உங்களால் முடிந்ததை செய்யுங்க.. சீமான் பேச்சு".
82. "NTK chief under fire for calling Muslims, Christians 'Satan's children'".
83. (2 August 2023). "சீமான் கிறிஸ்தவர்கள், இஸ்லாமியர்களை 'சாத்தானின் குழந்தைகள்' எனக் கூறியது ஏன்?".
84. Bureau, DTNEXT. (August 2023). "TN Platform for People's Unity condemns Seeman for anti-minority speech".