Bhagavathar's Grandson Sues 'Kaantha,' Seeking Legal Action

Malayalam star Dulquer Salmaan’s multilingual film 'Kaantha' gears up for its theatrical release on November 14, it has hit a legal roadblock. The grandson of legendary actor and musician M K Thyagaraja Bhagavathar has filed a petition in a Chennai court seeking to stop the release of the film.

According to reports, the petitioner, B. Thiagarajan, alleged that Kaantha portrays his grandfather — the iconic actor and Carnatic musician Thyagaraja Bhagavathar — as “a man of loose morals” who lived in poverty and blindness during the final years of his life, a depiction he described as false and defamatory.

Thiagarajan argued that the late Bhagavathar, popularly known as MKT, was a revered figure in Tamil cinema and Carnatic music, celebrated for his devotion, simplicity, and generosity. The petition further stated that, despite his wrongful implication in a criminal case, Bhagavathar led a dignified life until his death in 1959.

The petitioner contended that filmmakers are legally obligated to seek permission from the surviving legal heirs of public figures before depicting them on screen — a step he claims the makers of Kaantha failed to take. He alleged that the film’s portrayal is defamatory and damages his grandfather’s legacy, and has sought a permanent injunction on its release, distribution, and digital streaming.

While the makers of Kaantha have not yet issued an official response to the controversy, actor Dulquer Salmaan had earlier clarified in interviews that the film is entirely fictional and not based on any real-life individual.

Earlier this morning, On Kaantha Court case, Rana Daggubati clarified in a Q and A session on X. During the interaction, a fan asked him, “It’s said there is a Case on stopping the #Kaantha movie release in Chennai ?? Is this true ??. Answering the same, Rana wrote, “It’s pretty baseless the film has no real reference at all. See you in cinemas Nov14th.”