The makers of the action entertainer Kingdom, starring Vijay Deverakonda and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, issued a public statement on Wednesday expressing regret if the film had hurt the sentiments of the Tamil community. They emphasised that the movie is entirely fictional and not intended to offend any group.
In light of growing protests in Tamil Nadu, particularly from Tamil nationalist groups, the film’s producers addressed concerns regarding its alleged portrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils in a negative light. One of the political parties has claimed that the film depicts Sri Lankan Tamils as antagonists, accusing the filmmakers of insensitivity and misrepresentation of Tamil identity and history.
Responding to the controversy, Sithara Entertainments, which produced the film, released an official statement saying, “We hereby confirm that we respect the sentiments of the Tamil people, and we promise that there are no such scenes in the movie that are intended to hurt the sentiments of the local people.”
The statement reiterated that Kingdom is a work of fiction, with no connections to real events or communities. “The story is completely fictional and imaginary. This is clearly mentioned in the disclaimer portion of the movie,” the statement added.
While maintaining that the film does not contain objectionable content, the producers also expressed regret if any unintended offense had been caused. “In such case, if the sentiments of the people are hurt, we regret the incident. We kindly request you to support the movie.”
Kingdom, which was released globally on July 31, features music by Anirudh Ravichander and editing by Navin Nooli. The film is produced by Naga Vamsi S and Sai Soujanya under the Sithara Entertainments and Fortune 4 Cinemas banners, and presented by Srikara Studios. Neeraja Kona serves as costume designer, and the film's action sequences were choreographed by Yannick Ben, Chethan D’Souza, and Real Satis. Dance numbers have been choreographed by Vijay Binni.
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