Why Is Vijay Deverakonda’s ‘Kingdom’ Sparking Protests in Tamil Nadu?

The Naam Thamizhar Katchi (NTK) party has initiated protests, claiming the film’s portrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils and LTTE fighters is demeaning and an attempt to “twist historical facts.”

August 6, 2025: Pro-Tamil groups, especially the Naam Thamizhar Katchi (NTK), are very upset about Gowtam Tinnanuri’s upcoming movie Kingdom, which stars Vijay Deverakonda. They say it makes Sri Lankan Tamils and LTTE fighters seem bad. People in cities like Madurai, Trichy, and Ramanathapuram have been protesting and asking that the movie not be played.

Members of NTK have shared videos on social media of themselves pulling down movie posters outside theaters. Saravanan, the party’s State Propaganda Secretary, said that the movie “demeans LTTE fighters and Eezham Tamils” by showing them as “enslaved people living in the mountains.” He also added that the filmmakers were “twisting historical facts” and promised that the NTK “won’t put up with such acts of hurting them.”

Reports say that the people who sell the movie in Tamil Nadu have gone to the Madras High Court to ask for police protection, which has made things worse. Critics have given the movie mixed reviews, yet it is doing well at the box office. Because of the political response, it is again in the news.