Members of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) party staged a protest in front of a movie theater against the release of the Telugu film ‘Kingdom’, alleging that it contains scenes that misrepresent Eelam Tamils.
The protest led to the arrest of several NTK members by the police. In Ramanathapuram, a theater management cancelled the film’s screenings after protests from the party.
The protestors claim that the film, starring actor Vijay Devarakonda, portrays Eelam Tamils in a demeaning manner, showing them as untouchables and slaves who migrated from India to Sri Lanka.
They argue that the film falsely depicts Eelam Tamils oppressing the Hill Country Tamils, which they call a distortion of history.
The protestors stated that it is unacceptable to distort the history of the Tamil nation under the guise of freedom of expression.
Political leaders have condemned the film for its alleged historical inaccuracies and for its portrayal of the Eelam Tamil community. Despite the protests and security measures at theaters, the film was released in Tamil Nadu, leading to the protests by the NTK.
The theater management in Ramanathapuram, however, announced the cancellation of the shows due to the protests.