Why some want Vijay Deverakonda's 'Kingdom' banned? Sri Lankan Tamils can be evil in fictional stories, say Telugu star's fans

A section of the Tamil audience is not happy with Telugu star Vijay Deverakonda's latest film, 'Kingdom', over the portrayal of Sri Lankan minorities. The action-drama spy thriller portrays Tamils in Jaffna in a poor light, which was not well received by some moviegoers in Tamil Nadu who call it historically inaccurate and cruel towards an ethnic minority that has been persecuted in the island nation for decades.

 

'Kingdom' was released on July 31, 2025, in Telugu and dubbed in Tamil and Hindi. According to critics, Sri Lankan Tamils are antagonists in the movie who are shown mistreating Indians. 

 

"#Kingdom interval - movie has portrayed Jaffna tamils as evil people who oppressed Indians who migrated to Srilanka. Why do this @TheDeverakonda? And you come to Tamilnadu to promote this movie?" a post on X read. The issue kicked off an online discussion with one side arguing that the film did display a disclaimer that claimed the story was fictional. The other, however, remained steadfast that cultural appropriation and historical inaccuracy are not acceptable. "We are Tamils brother. When they portray us bad - we question it. That’s all. Because this is happening continuously. Not just one incident," the X user who initiated the conversation with an interval review of the movie said.

 

One of the users categorically questioned the path chosen by the Telugu industry in recent times. He wrote, "Why nowadays does the Telugu industry produce and direct movies like Jaat, and web series against Tamils? I haven't watched any of these movies... Let’s boycott this movie in TN." The claim was immediately countered by another user, who wrote, "It's called cinema for a reason, [it is] fiction. For example, one heroine would portray the character of a prostitute; that doesn't mean she is that in real life. Grow up."

 

Despite the calls for a ban, the Gowtam Tinnanuri-directed 'Kingdom' is running successfully in theatres, initial reports showed. The movie, which also features Bhagyashri Borse and Satyadev in important roles, is said to have collected ₹9.92 Crore in the Telugu regions on its opening day.

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