‘Hurting the Kodava Community Was Never Our Intention’: Sky Force Director Apologises for Misrepresentation

The controversy arose after several members of the Kodava community objected to the portrayal of Devaiah, as the character inspired by him in Sky Force Film. Phoyo: The Kodagu Express

Madikeri: Finally ‘Sky Force’ Hindi film director Abhishek Anil Kapur apologised to the Kodava community after backlash over the misrepresentation of Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devaiah in the recently released film.

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Responding to criticism, in an interview to Zoom Tv Channel he stated that any offence caused was unintentional and assured that the filmmakers had no intention of misrepresenting the war hero’s background.

The controversy arose after several members of the Kodava community objected to the portrayal of Devaiah, as the character inspired by him in Sky Force—played by Veer Pahariya—was shown as a Tamilian. Community members pointed out that Devaiah was a proud Kodava officer, and his heritage should have been correctly represented.

In the interview, Kapur acknowledged the community’s concerns and expressed regret over the oversight. “I have come across these concerns. It is possible that we did not fully adhere to the sentiments of the Kodava community because our primary focus was on maintaining authenticity in accordance with Indian Air Force regulations,” he said.

Explaining the reasoning behind the changes, he added, “We deliberately altered the character’s name to ensure we did not offend any individual, family, or religious beliefs. When creating films on such subjects, there are many sensitivities to consider.”

Reiterating his regret, Kapur said, “Hurting the Kodava community was never our intention. If we have caused any distress, we sincerely apologise. We took great care with every detail, but if we fell short in certain areas, we regret it.”

The controversy arose after Tanya Appachu Kaul, a lawyer and social media influencer from the Kodava community, alleged that the filmmakers misrepresented Devayya’s cultural roots. Tanya pointed out that the movie depicts Devayya, a Kodava, as a Tamilian belonging to a Tamil family. Her Instagram video criticizing this creative choice has gone viral, sparking widespread discussion on social media platforms.

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