Dorothy director Karthik Subbaraj slams Mohan G for transphobic remarks: ‘Gender violence’

In a video posted on X on Tuesday, Karthik Subbaraj did not hold back. He named Mohan G directly and said nobody had given him the right to publicly shame or humiliate another person on the basis of their gender identity.

“Transphobia is gender violence and is as bad as caste or communal violence,” Karthik Subbaraj said. “Nobody has given you the right to hurt them in front of everyone.”

I Strongly Condemn…. https://t.co/u8n6StgXpg

— karthik subbaraj (@karthiksubbaraj) October 13, 2026

What happened?

The controversy stems from a televised debate in which director Mohan G and Negha appeared as participants. During the discussion, which touched on transgender rights and Karthik Subbaraj’s film Dorothy, Mohan G directed questions at Negha that were widely perceived as demeaning, invasive and designed to humiliate rather than engage.

Mohan G questioned Negha about marriage and the ability to have children, framing biological reproduction as the defining purpose of human life and using it as a basis to de-legitimise transgender identities.

Karthik Subbaraj challenged the fundamental premise of Mohan G’s argument. He questioned whether the ability to reproduce is the highest purpose of human existence, pointing out that animals also reproduce and asking whether that alone defines the value of a human life. “Why should having children be considered the ultimate goal? Dogs and pigs also have children. Is that the highest aspiration of human beings?” he said.

Also Read: Dorothy movie review: Karthik Subbaraj’s film will make everyone uncomfortable

Karthik Subbaraj argued that filmmakers can disagree about cinema, they can criticise each other’s films, and they can have different artistic and political viewpoints. But criticism should never come at the cost of another person’s dignity. “You can criticise my film. You can say you didn’t like it. But nobody has given you the right to hurt them in front of everyone. Because the person sitting opposite you is a human being. Look at her as a human being” he said.

Who is Mohan G?

Mohan G, also known as Mohan G Kshatriyan, is a Tamil filmmaker who made debut with Draupathi in 2020, a film about false cases filed against men from dominant castes under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities. He followed it with Bakasuran and Draupathi 2, which continued the messaging of the original. He had drawn criticism after claiming on social media that LGBTQ+ representation in Tamil films was being funded by NGOs to erode traditional cultural values, a claim he provided no evidence for.