'Kingdom' protests: Who are Naam Tamilar Party?
Vijay Deverakonda's new Telugu spy film, Kingdom, has run into protests from the Naam Tamilar Party in Chennai.
The party is upset about a Sri Lankan Tamil leader being shown as "Murugan" and scenes that paint Tamils as violent.
On release day (July 31, 2023), over 50 members blocked an Ambattur theater, calling the film an insult to Tamil identity and demanding a ban.
Party's history of action
The Naam Tamilar Party often takes direct action against films they believe misrepresent or harm Tamil interests.
They've staged similar protests before, showing how seriously they take cultural representation.
Box office collection amid protests
Despite all the controversy, Kingdom is drawing big crowds. Made for over ₹100 crore and directed by Gowtham Tinnanuri (with music by Anirudh Ravichander), it pulled in ₹67 crore in just three days.
So far, audiences seem undeterred by the protests or debates around its portrayal of Tamils.
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