The makers of Vijay Deverakonda’s new film ‘Kingdom’ have apologised to the public after massive protests spread across Tamil Nadu, where several groups have accused the movie of misrepresenting Tamil identity and hurting religious sentiments. Directed by Gautham Tinnanuri, the film was released internationally on July 31 but quickly found itself at the centre of controversy.
On Wednesday, the film’s production house Sitara Entertainment in an official statement clarified that ‘Kingdom’ is completely based on a fictional story and that they did not intend to hurt the sentiments of any community. “We would like to apologise if they have in any way hurt the sentiments of the people,” a part of the statement read. “We respect the people of Tamil Nadu,” it added. Check out the full statement here:
Statement from the Desk of #SitharaEntertainments #Kingdom @TheDeverakonda @anirudhofficial @gowtam19 @ActorSatyaDev #BhagyashriBorse @Venkitesh_VP @dopjomon #GirishGangadharan @vamsi84 #SaiSoujanya @NavinNooli @artkolla @NeerajaKona @SitharaEnts @Fortune4Cinemas… pic.twitter.com/bSBL8p39wf
— Done Channel (@DoneChannel1) August 6, 2025
Why Is Kingdom Drawing Backlash?
The protest against the film was initiated by Tamil nationalist organisation Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK). They allege that the film portrays Sri Lankan Tamils in a negative light, and the main villain is named ‘Murugan’ a reference to Lord Murugan, who holds a special place in Tamil culture and faith.
NTK says this is a deliberate insult that hurts Tamil identity and traditions. As the controversy escalated, protests broke out outside theatres in several parts of Tamil Nadu. The organisation is demanding that the film be banned across the state.
Protests Escalate In Ramanathapuram
The most violent protests took place in Ramanathapuram district, where NTK supporters gathered outside a cinema hall. Demonstrators raised slogans, demanded that the screening be stopped, and clashed with police who were called in to control the crowd. Minor clashes were reported, and additional forces were deployed to ensure security. Though no injuries were reported, the atmosphere remained tense in many parts of the state.
About Kingdom:
Vijay Deverakonda plays the role of Surya, a secret agent sent on a dangerous mission. But things go wrong, and he finds himself trapped in enemy territory and eventually imprisoned. While trying to survive, he unexpectedly becomes close to the very people he was supposed to bring down.
Produced by S Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, ‘Kingdom’ also stars Bhagyashri Borse, Satyadev, and Manish Chaudhary in key roles.
Kingdom Box Office Performance
Kingdom opened with an impressive Rs 18 crore on Day 1, with Rs 17.25 crore. However, the collection dipped by 58.33% on Day 2, earning Rs 7.5 crore. The film recovered slightly on Saturday with Rs 8 crore, followed by Rs 7.4 crore on Day 4. Over the weekend, Kingdom experienced a significant decline in collections, earning just Rs 2 crore on Day 5 (Monday). On Day 6, the film again witnessed a significant drop, earning only Rs 1.5 crore. With this, the total box office collection of Kingdom stands at Rs 44.40 crore across all versions in its first six days.
