25 September,2026 06:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Divya Sathyaraj and Bayilvan Ranganathan (Pictures via X)
Divya Sathyaraj, daughter of veteran actor and Baahubali fame Sathyaraj, has approached the Madras High Court with a Rs 1 crore defamation suit against actor and film critic Bayilvan Ranganathan, alleging that he made false and defamatory remarks about her following her comments on marriage and relationships.
As reported by The Hindu, the controversy began after Divya spoke about her views on marriage during an interview with a YouTube channel. She said couples should stay together because of their love for each other rather than simply because they are married. She also questioned the practice of basing marriages on factors such as religion and horoscopes.
"They should be together because they are crazy about each other, not because they are married. I don't believe in this corporate wedding of getting married on the basis of religion, horoscope, and so on. In fact, I don't have a horoscope at all because my father does not believe in such things," she said during the interview.
Following her remarks, Sathyaraj publicly backed his daughter's views through a video shared on social media. However, Divya has alleged that Bayilvan subsequently responded to her interview with statements that she considers false and defamatory. The allegations form the basis of the civil defamation proceedings currently before the Madras High Court.
Divya has sought Rs 1 crore in damages from Bayilvan and Mohideen, proprietor of the YouTube channel Puthiya Sinthanai, where the actor's response was reportedly featured. She has also sought 12 per cent interest on the claimed damages from the date of filing of the suit until the amount is realised.
Apart from monetary compensation, Divya has sought permanent and interim injunctions restraining Bayilvan from making, writing, publishing, broadcasting or circulating any statements that she alleges are defamatory. She has also sought directions concerning the online circulation of the allegedly objectionable material.
The plea names Google LLC, Facebook India Online Services Private Limited and X Corp in connection with the dissemination of the content on their respective platforms.
On September 24, Justice K Govindarajan Thilakavathi granted interim protection to Divya and restrained Bayilvan from circulating the allegedly objectionable statements. The court also directed the named social media and technology platforms to prevent further dissemination of the material while the proceedings continue. The court's order came after observing that Divya had made out a prima facie case for interim relief.
The defamation suit is now pending before the Madras High Court, with Divya seeking damages and continued protection against the alleged statements.
