South Indian film controversies of first half of 2026: Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ censor row, ‘Drishyam 3’ and AMMA crisis explained | Tamil Movie News
It’s been a tumultuous year for the South Indian film industry, with several high-profile legal battles making headlines in 2026. The entertainment space has been dominated by issues ranging from intense censorship and copyright infringement disputes to personality rights lawsuits and messy divorces. Notably, Thalapathy Vijay’s latest political thriller ‘Jana Nayagan’ faced severe release delays, while ‘Drishyam 3’ fought a tough copyright battle for its Telugu remake rights. We break down the five most significant court dramas that transformed the landscape of Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema in the first half of this year.
The censor battle of ‘Jana Nayagan’ delayed Vijay’s final film
Marking the year’s most serious legal setback, Thalapathy Vijay’s last film before his political entry, ‘Jana Nayagan’, ran into intense censor hurdles. The film’s release was delayed indefinitely after the producers failed to get official clearance, forcing them to seek legal recourse. Adding to the uncertainty surrounding the much-anticipated film, pirated footage of the unreleased film was leaked online.
The divorce case of Ravi Mohan and Aarti Ravi reached the High Court
The ongoing divorce proceedings between actor Ravi Mohan and Aarti Ravi remained a major talking point throughout the year. The legal tussle intensified after Aarti sought interim maintenance, claiming that the actor had failed to fund her children’s education since April 2025. Rejecting an extension request, the Madras High Court ordered Ravi Mohan to contest the maintenance dispute in the Family Welfare Court.
“Drishyam 3” ran into copyright issues over Telugu rights
Despite an ongoing legal dispute over its remake rights in Telugu, ‘Drishyam 3’ successfully hit the theatres. Rajkumar Theaters Pvt. Ltd. moved the Madras High Court to protect its adaptation rights, seeking an injunction against the unauthorized Telugu versions. Although the court issued a notice to the parties involved stating that any future Telugu remake deal would depend on the final verdict, the controversy failed to slow down the film’s theatrical run. The original Malayalam version starring Mohanlal was a massive hit at the box office.
Allu Arjun, Jr NTR, Naga Chaitanya and others are fighting for personality rights
In 2026, the unauthorized exploitation of artificial intelligence and digital technology has become a pressing issue for the entertainment industry. Prominent actors including Allu Arjun, Jr NTR and Naga Chaitanya have moved the Delhi High Court to safeguard their personality rights. Through these legal actions, the stars seek to prevent unapproved commercial use of their names, voices, likenesses and AI-generated digital clones.
AMMA controversy it led to resignations and a new debate
The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) faced its worst crisis yet following the mass resignation of its president and 17 executive committee members over financial transparency disputes. The fallout sparked heated discussions at the organization’s annual general meeting, highlighting serious accountability issues and forcing sweeping structural changes within the body.
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