Kaantha In Legal Trouble: Dulquer Salmaan’s Film Taken To Court By Thyagaraja Bhagavathar’s Grandson Over Defamation Claim

Kaantha In Legal Trouble: Just days before its planned release, Dulquer Salmaan’s much-anticipated period drama Kaantha has run into serious legal trouble. B. Thiagarajan, the grandson of legendary Tamil actor and Carnatic musician M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar (known widely as MKT), has filed a petition in a Chennai court seeking a complete ban on the film. He claims that the movie wrongly depicts his grandfather in a negative, defamatory manner. According to reports, the petition argues that Kaantha portrays MKT as a man of loose morals who spent his final years blind, struggling financially, and living in misery.

In his plea, B. Thiagarajan clarified that while MKT’s eyesight weakened later in life, he was never fully blind. He also denied the suggestion that the legendary musician died poor, insisting that MKT lived with dignity and financial stability until his death in 1959. He described his grandfather as a disciplined, devout, and charitable man who never drank alcohol and who remained deeply respected across Tamil Nadu. The petition further states that misrepresenting a public figure’s life can cause lasting damage, especially when they are no longer alive to defend themselves. For this reason, Thiagarajan has asked the court to permanently stop the film’s theatrical release, OTT distribution, and any future screenings.

Meanwhile, Thiagarajan also argued that filmmakers have a moral and legal responsibility to seek permission from surviving family members when portraying a real person on screen. He claims that the creators of Kaantha never approached the family, despite clear similarities between MKT’s life and the film’s storyline. Even when names are changed, he says audiences can easily identify who is being referenced. This, he argues, can unfairly damage a respected icon’s legacy. As of now, the makers have not officially responded to the legal notice. However, in previous interviews and promotional events, Dulquer Salmaan and the film’s team have repeatedly stated that Kaantha is entirely fictional and not based on any real individual.

Also Read: Kaantha X Review: Dulquer Salmaan Shines In Period-Drama Thriller; Fans Hail His Performance ‘National Award-Worthy’

On the other hand, co-producer Rana Daggubati has already reacted informally to the controversy, calling the accusations pretty baseless during a Q&A session on X (formerly Twitter). Directed by Selvamani Selvaraj, Kaantha features Dulquer Salmaan, Rana Daggubati, Samuthirakani, and Bhagyashri Borse in key roles. Interestingly, this is not the first time Dulquer has faced a pre-release legal challenge his 2022 hit Kurup, based on fugitive Sukumara Kurup, also went through legal scrutiny before becoming a major box-office success. With the court now involved, the future of Kaantha’s release remains uncertain as fans wait to see whether the film will arrive in cinemas as planned.