Madras HC Orders Police Protection for ‘Kingdom’ Screenings Amid Protests

August 7, 2025: Vijay Deverakonda’s new movie, Kingdom, has caused a lot of protests in Tamil Nadu. Because of this, the movie’s producers have asked the police to protect theaters. The Madras High Court has since received a promise from the state police that they will provide security if needed.

The rioting, which was mostly led by the pro-Tamil political organization Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), started following the movie’s world premiere on July 31.

Protesters say that the movie misrepresents Sri Lankan Tamils by showing them as bad guys and villains. One of the main points of disagreement is the name of the antagonist, “Murugan.” NTK has dubbed this a deliberate and insulting choice because it is the name of one of Tamil Nadu’s most important gods.

There have been protests all over the state, including one in Ramanathapuram where NTK supporters blocked a movie theater from showing a movie. The situation got out of hand and turned into a fight with the police, who had to step in and break up the mob.

Even though there is a lot of talk about it, the people who made the movie have not said anything in public. The legal battle is still going on, though. The court has urged both the police and NTK to file official responses to the petition for uninterrupted screenings.