Tamil protestors in Tiruppur last week.
The controversy over the Telugu film Kingdom intensified this week, as the Tamil Nadu theatrical rights holder moved the Madras High Court seeking protection for screenings, while political leaders demanded a complete ban over what they allege is a derogatory portrayal of the Eelam Tamils.
On 6 August, SSI Production, which holds the Tamil Nadu rights to the Vijay Deverakonda–starrer, filed a writ petition to restrain Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief coordinator S. Seeman and his supporters from interfering with screenings in the state. The petition also sought directions from the Director General of Police and senior police officials in Chennai and Coimbatore to provide adequate security to cinemas showing the film. The case is listed before Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy.
In his affidavit, K. Abhilash of SSI Production said Kingdom, produced by Sithara Entertainments and directed by National Award-winner Gowtam Tinnanuri, had a budget of ₹130 crore and featured music by Tamil Nadu’s Anirudh Ravichander. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared the film on 30 July 2025.
However, Abhilash stated that on 4 August, Seeman posted objections on X (formerly Twitter), sparking threats to theatre owners in Chennai and Coimbatore.
“Some cinema hall owners have already expressed apprehension and reluctance to continue screening the film due to the fear of law and order disturbances... It has also created fear among the general public and theatre staff,” Abhilash said.
Citing Supreme Court precedents, the petition argued that once a film is cleared by the CBFC, it cannot be subjected to “extrajudicial censorship” or prevented from screening by private individuals or organisations.
NTK’s protests have been echoed by other Tamil nationalist figures. MDMK General Secretary Vaiko condemned Kingdom, stating:
“The Telugu film Kingdom portrays the Tamils of Eelam in a very bad light... The attempt to distort history by portraying the Tamils of Eelam wrongly is strongly condemned. Therefore, the release of the film Kingdom in Tamil Nadu should be banned!”
Critics accuse the film of insulting Eelam Tamils, with some demanding a full ban across Tamil Nadu.
In response to the backlash, Sithara Entertainments issued a public statement in Tamil acknowledging that “some of the visuals in the film hurt the sentiments of the Tamil people.”
“We deeply respect the feelings of the Tamil people,” the statement read. “We assure you that this story is completely fictional, as we have mentioned in the disclaimer portion of the film. Despite this, if people's sentiments have been hurt in any way, we are very sorry.”
Despite the apology, protests continue. Several leaders and activist groups insist the film’s release in Tamil Nadu be halted entirely. The uncertainty has left cinema halls under pressure, with theatre owners fearing disruption and violence.
