CHENNAI – The Hindu has publicly accused The Indian Express of reproducing and reworking “substantial portions” of an exclusive interview with Tamil actor Rishikanth, and of using a photograph from the newspaper’s own photoshoot without permission or credit.

The allegation, made in a post on The Hindu’s verified Instagram account on Wednesday, 5 November 2026, names reporter Srinivasa Ramanujam, who conducted the interview at the newspaper’s Chennai office, and staff photographer Thamodharan B, whose portrait of the actor it says was reused.

“Quoting an exclusive interview is standard journalistic practice. Reproducing virtually an entire story, even with portions reworded, is not,” The Hindu said in the post.

“We find this disregard for original reporting and photography deeply disappointing. Credit where it is due is a basic tenet of journalism,” it added.

The Indian Express had not issued a public response to the allegation at the time of publishing, and Nagaland.News could not establish whether the Screen article has since been edited, credited or removed. This report will be updated if the publication responds.

The two articles at the centre of the dispute

The Hindu’s interview, headlined “Rishikanth on ‘Dorothy‘, newfound fame and his journey from a Chennai mansion to a new home”, was last updated on 3 November 2026 at 6:22 pm IST and carries Ramanujam’s byline. It is accompanied by a portrait of the actor, dressed in black, against a green latticed window grille.

The article The Hindu objects to was published on 4 November 2026 at 9:08 pm IST by Screen, the entertainment vertical of The Indian Express. Headlined “Dorothy actor Rishikanth faced ‘enormous’ failures, found success after 15 years“, it is credited to the “Entertainment Desk” with a New Delhi dateline, according to a screenshot The Hindu shared alongside its statement.

The screenshot shows the Express article’s lead image as what appears to be the same portrait from The Hindu’s shoot, carrying a “Screen” watermark. The Hindu’s statement says the Express used the photograph “without permission or credit”. Nagaland.News has not independently compared the full text of the two articles. Also Read Nagaland brings GST amendments into force from October 1, 2025

Who is Rishikanth?

Rishikanth is enjoying a breakout year in Tamil cinema after roughly 15 years of supporting roles. He first became known through the YouTube sketch group Temple Monkeys and later appeared in films including Hero (2018), Indian 2 (2024) and Coolie (2025).

He played the lead in Modha Rathiri, directed by Raja Karuppasamy, which released in cinemas on 21 August and began streaming on Netflix in September. He also stars alongside Keerthy Suresh and Sananth in Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothy, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before opening in theatres on 25 September.

His sudden prominence has made him a sought-after interview subject for entertainment desks across Indian media.

Indian Express plagiarism row: a rare public dispute

Public accusations of this kind between two of India’s oldest English-language national dailies are unusual. Disputes over lifted copy are more often settled privately between editors.

The Hindu’s post drew wide attention within hours, gathering more than 7,000 likes and nearly 200 comments by Wednesday evening. Media-industry publication BestMediaInfo also reported the allegation.

Indian news organisations typically credit the original outlet when they follow up on another publication’s exclusive interview, usually with a line such as “the actor told [publication]”. Photographs from commissioned shoots are the copyright of the publication or photographer, and reuse normally requires permission and a credit line.

The Indian Express has faced plagiarism allegations in the past. In May 2020 it withdrew an article by economist Shamika Ravi following a plagiarism row, Newslaundry reported at the time. That case involved a guest columnist; the current allegation concerns the paper’s own entertainment desk.

It is not yet known whether The Indian Express will amend the article, add credit, or withdraw it.