The Madras High Court on Wednesday asked the Tamil Nadu government to respond to a public interest litigation seeking a ban on Desiya Thalaivar, a newly released biopic on Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, amid allegations that the film contains fabricated portrayals of former chief minister K Kamaraj that could inflame caste tensions in the state.
A First Division Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan adjourned the hearing by a week after directing Additional Advocate-General J Ravindran to examine the submissions in detail. The petition was filed by A Hari Nadar, founder-president of the Shatriya Sandror Padai, who argued that the film’s narrative includes “concocted” incidents that undermine the legacy of Kamaraj, one of Tamil Nadu’s most revered political leaders.
The film, released in theatres on October 30, dramatises episodes from the 1930s, including Kamaraj’s bid to contest the Virudhunagar Municipality elections. At the time, candidates were required to own property and produce a tax receipt with their nomination. According to the petitioner, the film depicts Kamaraj’s mother refusing to transfer her property to her son and portrays Muthuramalinga Thevar attempting – and failing – to persuade her.
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Another key scene shows Muthuramalinga Thevar purchasing a lamb, paying tax for it in Kamaraj’s name, and thereby helping him meet the property requirement. Nadar said these scenes have no basis in historical records and could provoke hostility between the Thevar and Nadar communities. He argued that similar stories surfaced in a Class VII Tamil textbook in 2019 but were removed after he made a representation to the then school education minister K A Sengottaiyan. Their reappearance in the biopic, he said, reflects an attempt to “defame” Kamaraj.
The petitioner claimed that multiple depictions in the film were created “without documentary evidence” and risked vilifying the Congress icon, whose tenure as chief minister is remembered for his contributions to irrigation, education, and industrial expansion in Tamil Nadu. He urged the court to direct the state government to prohibit the film’s screening across all theatres.
The bench did not express any views on the merits of the claims but said the state must file its response before the next hearing. The case comes at a time when political leaders and community organisations continue to debate the representation of historical figures in cinema – a longstanding and emotionally charged issue in Tamil Nadu, where films often shape collective memory.
The matter will be heard again next week.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
