# VK Sreeraman regrets Pulikali body-shaming remark as minister steps in 2026-08-20T15:28:13+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Actor-writer VK Sreeraman has apologised for his comments criticising Thrissur's traditional Pulikali (tiger dance), after strong protests from artist groups. In a deleted Facebook post, Sreeraman had described the performers' protruding stomachs as a 'nauseating male deformity' and questioned the art form's aesthetic value, Mathrubhumi reports. Pulikali groups accused Sreeraman of insulting performers who spend hours in body paint and heavy costumes. Nine organising committees demanded a public apology. Doctor Manoj Vellanad, whose post Sreeraman later shared, backed the apology demand but argued that the health risks of abdominal obesity should also be discussed. Keralam Tourism Minister P C Vishnunadh called the remarks 'body-shaming' and unacceptable in a civilised society, The Federal reports. He praised Pulikali as a world-class art form and said the government will increase financial assistance to participating teams from this year. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Mathrubhumi's coverage leads with the artist's regret and the cultural distress caused, framing the controversy as a social breach that Sreeraman himself acknowledged. The Federal foregrounds the tourism minister's intervention, turning the story into a government-backed defence of folk art and a policy announcement on increased financial aid. Mathrubhumi includes Vellanad's nuanced take on health risks, which softens the critique of Sreeraman, while The Federal omits this entirely, presenting a unified official and artist condemnation. A careful reader should note that Sreeraman's regret stops short of retracting his aesthetic critique, and the minister's announcement of higher aid, while welcome, is a separate policy step not directly tied to the apology. The next concrete event to watch is the government's disbursement of the enhanced assistance to Pulikali teams. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 neutral - english.mathrubhumi.com (neutral report) Leads with Sreeraman's regret and artist protests, includes health debate via Vellanad - thefederal.com (pro government) Foregrounds minister Vishnunadh's condemnation and announces increased govt aid This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-21T22:06:04+00:00. Tags: Kerala, Pulikali, Thrissur, VK Sreeraman Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/malayalam-actor-regrets-pulikali-remarks-after-backlash/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/malayalam-actor-regrets-pulikali-remarks-after-backlash/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/