We acknowledge the mistake: Indian Express Digital CEO on photo row

The Hindu raised objections over The Indian Express’s use of its exclusive Rishikanth interview and a photograph from the accompanying shoot

by Ruhail Amin
Published: Nov 6, 2026 9:08 AM | 1 min read

Nandagopal Rajan, CEO of Indian Express Digital, admitted to a mistake regarding the use of a photograph of Tamil actor Rishikanth in an article by Screen, the entertainment vertical of The Indian Express.
The photograph, taken by The Hindu's photographer Thamodharan, was used without permission or proper credit, leading to a public statement from The Hindu.
The interview with Rishikanth was originally published by The Hindu on November 3, with Screen's article following the next day.
Screen has since updated the article by replacing the photograph and including a note of regret for the oversight.

Nandagopal Rajan, CEO of Indian Express Digital, acknowledged a mistake in the use of a photograph of Tamil actor Rishikanth in an article published by Screen, The Indian Express’s entertainment vertical.

Speaking to exchange4media, Rajan said, “The Indian Express is committed to the highest standards of journalism. While our quotes were attributed to The Hindu, we regret using the image of actor Rishikanth, clicked by The Hindu photographer Thamodharan. It was an oversight that has since been rectified.”

The Hindu published its interview with Rishikanth on November 3. Journalist Srinivasa Ramanujam conducted the interview at the newspaper’s Chennai office, and staff photographer Thamodharan B took the accompanying portrait. Screen published its article the following day.

In a social media statement on November 5, The Hindu alleged that Screen had reproduced and reworked substantial portions of the interview and used the portrait without permission or credit.

Screen has since replaced the lead photograph with an image credited to Rishikanth’s Instagram account. The updated article carries a note from The Indian Express expressing regret over the use of Thamodharan’s photograph.