Dulquer Salmaan's 'Kaantha' in trouble? MKT's grandson files case
What's the story
The release of the upcoming period drama thriller Kaantha, featuring Dulquer Salmaan, has been put on hold due to a legal dispute. The family of late Tamil superstar MK Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, aka MKT, has filed a case in Chennai, alleging that the film defames their ancestor. The court has since issued notices to the producers, including Salmaan.
Allegations
Bhagavathar's family claims film shows false narrative of late actor
Bhagavathar's grandson, B Thiagarajan, claims Kaantha presents his grandfather as a morally corrupt person who died in poverty, per Live Law. He said, "Contrary to what is being portrayed in the movie, my grandfather was a humble, devout, and kind-hearted man...who carried out a lot of charity and had never smoked or consumed liquor in his life."
Defense
What we know about 'Kaantha'
The Kaantha team has clarified that the film is not a biopic of Bhagavathar. Set in 1950s Madras, it tells the story of actor TK Mahadevan, aka Nadippu Chakravarthi (Emperor of Acting), played by Salmaan. It follows Mahadevan's journey from a young actor to a superstar, and ultimately his haunting downfall. The cast also includes Samuthirakani as director Ayya, Rana Daggubati as a police officer, and Bhagyashri Borse as female lead Kumari.
Court proceedings
Next hearing on November 18
For context, Bhagavathar was dubbed the first superstar of Tamil cinema. However, after getting implicated in a murder case, his fame never returned to its prior height. Now, Thiagarajan has sought a permanent injunction to stop Kaantha from being released, screened, distributed, published, streamed, or shown in any form. The court has now scheduled the next hearing for November 18. The film was earlier set to release worldwide on November 14.