Latest news with #Venkitesh
Time of India
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Is there a fake apology letter from makers of Vijay Deverakonda's 'Kingdom'? Here is what we know
Picture Credit: X Vijay Deverakonda 's latest action thriller 'Kingdom' has been in controversy after protests erupted over its alleged portrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils in a negative light. Amid rising tensions, a letter claiming to be an apology from the film's producers, Sithara Entertainments, has gone viral on social media but was denied as only to be declared fake by the production house. The initial reception of the film was mixed to decent upon its release. The film's theatrical release in Tamil Nadu was disrupted by protests organized by members of pro-Tamil political party Naam Thamizhar Katchi (NTK) in Trichy and Ramanathapuram. Protesters claimed the film represented Sri Lankan Tamils in the role of antagonists and were particularly upset with the character of Venkitesh, who shares the name of one of Tamil culture's most revered deities, Lord Murugan. Fake apology letter surfaces online A letter surfaced online that appeared to be an official apology from Sithara Entertainments. The statement, written on what looked like a company letterhead in Tamil, loosely translates in English, "There are scenes and dialogues in the movie intended purely for entertainment and not to hurt the sentiments of Tamil people in any manner. The story is completely fictional and imaginary. We kindly request all to watch the film in the right spirit and understand the disclaimer shown at the beginning of the movie. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain (Search Here) Kneepain | Search Search Now Undo We once again express our respect for the Tamil audience and request their support." Production team clarify the letter is fake The letter went viral on social media, with many assuming the filmmakers had officially acknowledged the controversy. However, as per a Hindustan Times report, a spokesperson for Sithara Entertainments clarified that the production house had not issued any apology, calling it fake. So far, the producers have refrained from making any public statements about the protests or the backlash. Directed by 'Jersey' fame Gowtam Tinnanuri , 'Kingdom' stars Vijay Deverakonda, Satya Dev, Bhagyashri Borse, and Mollywood actor Venkitesh, who makes his Tollywood debut with this film. The film has made over Rs 45.90 crore at the box office domestically.
Hindustan Times
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Fake apology letter from makers of Vijay Deverakonda's Kingdom circulates amid protests over portrayal of Lankan Tamils
Gowtam Tinnanuri's Vijay Deverakonda, Satyadev, Venkitesh, and Bhagyashri Borse-starrer Kingdom is facing flak for its portrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils as villains. Pro-Tamil outfit Naam Thamizhar Katchi (NTK) staged protests in Trichy, tore down posters, and stopped the film's screenings. Now, a fake apology letter from Sithara Entertainments, the producers of the film, is doing the rounds on social media. (Also Read: Protesters tear posters, demand ban on Vijay Deverakonda's Kingdom for villainous portrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils) Vijay Deverakonda's Kingdom ran into trouble for its portrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils as villainous. Fake apology letter from Kingdom makers doing rounds Sithara Entertainments or their representatives have not posted anything about the protest on social media or talked to the press about it. But soon, a letter claiming to be from the production house began doing the rounds online. It reads: 'We hereby confirm that we respect the sentiments of the Tamil people, and we promise that there are no scenes in the movie that are intended to hurt the sentiments of the local people. The story is completely fictional and imaginary. This is clearly mentioned in the disclaimer portion of the movie. If the sentiments of the people are hurt, we regret the incident. We kindly request you to support the movie.' However, a spokesperson for the production house confirmed to Hindustan Times that the letter was fake. When asked if the production house sent out an apology letter, the rep replied, 'It's fake.' Kingdom to release in Sri Lanka What's more, the producers are planning to now release Kingdom in Sri Lanka amid the protests. The film's team shared the news on social media that the film will be released there on 8 August. They wrote, 'Sri Lanka. Get Ready to Witness the Action-packed Spy Saga #KINGDOM (Tamil). Releasing Grandly in theatres on August 8th.' A theatre list was also released for those interested in watching the film. Meanwhile, the NTK staged protests across Trichy and claimed that the portrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils in the film was offensive. One video taken at the Jagan Theatre in Ramanathapuram shows protesters climbing up the roof of the theatre despite the police presence and ripping down the Kingdom poster. The Tamil outfit also took offence to Venkitesh's character being named after Lord Murugan despite being the main antagonist.
Hindustan Times
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Protesters tear posters, demand ban on Vijay Deverakonda's Kingdom for villainous portrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils
Gowtam Tinnanuri's Vijay Deverakonda, Satyadev, Venkitesh and Bhagyashri Borse-starrer Kingdom ran into trouble for its portrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils. Cadres from the Naam Thamizhar Katchi (NTK), a pro-Tamil party, held protests outside theatres screening Kingdom in Madurai, Trichy and demanded a ban on the film's screening. Videos of them tearing down the film's posters are also doing the rounds on social media. Venkitesh played a Sri Lankan Tamil called Murugan who faces off against Vijay Deverakonda's Suri. Protest against Vijay Deverakonda's Kingdom One video taken at the Jagan Theatre in Ramanathapuram shows protesters climbing up the roof of the theatre despite the police presence and ripping down the Kingdom poster. Sharing it, an X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, '#Kingdom - banners torn by the members of Naam Tamizhar Katchi to protest bad portrayal of Eelam tamils in the movie!' Saravanan, State Propaganda Secretary of NTK spoke to the press and India Today reported him saying, 'The movie demeans LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) fighters and Eezham Tamils. They fought for 30 years and died, but are shown as enslaved people living in the mountain areas. This is an attempt to twist historical facts, and we can't allow it. They have not had justice until now, and many are still missing. Naam Thamizhar Katchi won't tolerate such acts of hurting them.' Members of the political outfit were also reportedly furious that the makers named Venkitesh's character, the film's antagonist, after the Tamil deity Lord Murugan. They took offence to Sri Lankan Tamils being portrayed as villains. The protesters also reportedly met with prominent theatre management and only left after they were assured a meeting would be held between distributors to halt the screening of the film. The distributors, however, have approached the Madras High Court seeking police protection. About Kingdom Gowtam's action drama film Kingdom tells the story of a police constable turned spy called Suri (Vijay) and his long-lost brother Siva (Satyadev). It shows a tribe from Srikakulam migrating to a small island in Sri Lanka called Divi to escape the wrath of the British colonisers. The film also explores how the immigrants are exploited by a local cartel led by Odiyappan (Baburaj) and his son Murugan (Venkitesh). Kingdom was released in theatres on 31 July and has collected over ₹82 crore worldwide. It was dubbed in all south Indian languages and Hindi.
Hindustan Times
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Venkitesh V P on Kingdom speech: Felt I went overboard, thought I ruined my career
Malayalam actor Venkitesh made headlines when his speech at the Kingdom pre-release event went viral. Everyone wanted to know who this new kid on the block was, and he became one of the most-searched actors on the web. Kingdom actor Venkitesh VP Now that Kingdom, featuring Vijay Deverakonda, has hit the screens and taken a great start, Venkitesh, who played the main villain, is being lauded for his stellar performance in the action drama. Venkitesh revealed in an interview with Gulte that after delivering his high-energy speech, he felt incredibly happy and believed he had made an impact. But things changed as he went home, and the actor says, "The moment I rewatched the speech, I felt I went overboard and had ruined my career even before the film was released. But I thank the Telugu audience, who have welcomed me with open arms. I watched the film three times on day one, and the reception to my intro was superb and made me emotional," said Venkitesh. The young actor played the main villain in Kingdom, and all his scenes with Vijay Deverakonda and Satyadev have earned him a lot of appreciation. The action drama has grossed just over ₹80 crore and has given the Malayalam actor a new lease of life in Telugu cinema. Speaking of action dramas, you can stream Eagle, Krack, Marco, and Harom Hara on OTTplay Premium. Venkitesh on his new found fame in Tollywood Coming back to Kingdom, Venkitesh added that the film has made him a talking point and that he is someone who doesn't hide his emotions. "I was thrilled to be part of such a big film and couldn't resist myself during the pre-release event. I'm thankful that my hard work has paid off, as some big names from Telugu cinema have appreciated my performance," he added. With such thumping praise coming his way, Venkitesh says he's looking forward to doing more big-budget Telugu films in the days to come. Vijay Deverakonda and Satyadev played the lead roles in Kingdom, which also stars Bhagyashree Borse as the female lead.
New Indian Express
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
‘Kingdom' brings spotlight on actor Venkitesh V P
Actor Venkitesh V P, who was seen in films like 'Stand Up', 'The Priest', 'Kho-Kho', and 'Lovefully Yours Veda', is now basking in the limelight after 'Kingdom', his Telugu debut directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri and starring Vijay Deverakonda, hit the screens. His phone had been buzzing ever since the movie's pre-release event in Hyderabad, wherein Venkitesh's emotional speech about his decade-long struggle in the industry went viral. His co-star even tweeted, '[Kingdom] is just [Venkitesh's] fourth film, but when I shared scenes with him, I felt like I was in his world.' 'Deadly actor, ferocious eyes and energy, sweet soul. He will make a strong mark,' Vijay's tweet continues. Off-screen, too, Venkitesh is winning hearts. He runs a food truck in Thiruvananthapuram called Suda Suda Idli, where he personally serves piping-hot idlis. TNIE caught up with the actor to trace his journey, his big break, and the dream that fuels him. You spoke so emotionally at the pre-release event of Kingdom, sharing your nine-year journey in cinema. Can you tell us more? It all began in school at Government Model Boys Higher Secondary, where we'd bunk classes to watch films. That's when the dream took root. The film 'Best Actor' starring Mammootty left a deep mark on me. After graduation, I knew I couldn't imagine life without cinema. My parents asked me to finish my master's first. Once that was done, I started auditioning. I worked as a junior artist, landed small dialogue roles, and later joined a reality show that gave me some visibility. But the film I worked in shortly afterwards got shelved. I waited a whole year in hopes that it would hit the screens. Sadly, it didn't, and I had to start from scratch again. Back then, I'd message assistant and associate directors on Facebook, asking for auditions. That's how 'Stand Up' happened. Since then, it's been a rollercoaster. But passion keeps me going. Your Telugu debut comes with a big team and strong backing. How did you land the role in Kingdom? My first non-Malayalam film was in Tamil, 'Rebel'. Its team approached me after the 'Lovefully Yours Veda' trailer caught someone's eye. Similarly, the 'Kingdom' team saw the 'Rebel' trailer. They just called me — no audition. At first, I thought it was a prank. I believed it only when I met Gowtam sir. Working with him was like attending an acting school. And to play a villain opposite Vijay Deverakonda? Unbelievable.
