Tamil filmmaker Mysskin is facing criticism for remarking at a function on Sunday that Mammootty’s performance in the upcoming Peranbu was so good that he would have “raped” the actor if Mysskin had been a woman. “You can keep watching Mammootty sir throughout this film,” the filmmaker said at Peranbu’s audio launch in Chennai. “If he had been younger and he had been a woman, I might have fallen in love with him. Had I been a girl, I’d have raped him actually. Such fabulous acting.” His comments were greeted with laughter and applause by sections of the audience.

According to a report, the function was attended by several prominent personalities including Siddharth, Andrea Jeremiah, Vasanth Ravi, Bharathiraja, KS Ravikumar, Vetrimaran, Bala, Karu Pazhaniappan, Aadhik Ravichandran, AL Vijay and Aram Gopi Nainaar.

Mysskin concluded his speech by adding, “You have to create a controversy somehow to make this film a big hit and with that, my job here is done.”

Peranbu, directed by Ram, traces the relationship between a father (Mammootty) and his daughter (Sadhana), who has a physical disability. The Tamil-Malayalam bilingual is yet to get a release date.

Director Vijay, who was also present at the event, told The New Indian Express that the comments should not be taken out of context. “I think we should take Mysskin’s comments only within the context of him trying to appreciate the actor,” he said. “I don’t think we should create controversies out of this.”

However, Mysskin’s comments were slammed on social media.