Ram Gopal Varma accuses prominent Telugu Star of forcing flop film in theatres: Criticises industry for catering to heroes’ egos

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has sparked controversy once again with his latest remarks about the Telugu film industry. In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, Varma criticized the industry’s obsession with heroes’ egos, claiming it places unnecessary burdens on producers and frustrates buyers.

Varma alleged that a prominent Telugu star exerted pressure to keep his underperforming film running in theatres despite its financial losses. According to Varma, the star used his own funds to extend the film’s run, which led to additional complications for the distributor who was not informed of this arrangement.

“In the Telugu industry, individual producers still exist because it operates on the egos of heroes,” Varma stated. He compared this to Bollywood and Hollywood, where individual producers have largely been replaced by corporate entities. “In Telugu cinema, heroes often dislike corporate involvement because corporates adhere strictly to agreements and don’t cater to personal whims.”

Varma elaborated with an example: “A corporate company from Bombay worked on a major film with a Telugu star. When the film faced a deficit, the corporate company decided to pull it from theatres. The star’s fans believed this would be an insult, so the star personally financed the film’s continued run. The corporate company had no reason to object as long as the hero covered the costs. However, this decision was not communicated to the distributor, who subsequently halted advertisements due to financial constraints.”

He criticized the professionalism of corporate entities in the Telugu industry, stating that their approach contrasts sharply with that of Bollywood. “In Telugu cinema, producers are saddled with enormous budgets and are left to recover costs by selling their films at high prices, which ultimately impacts buyers. This kind of situation is unique to the Telugu film industry. You don’t see buyers protesting outside producers’ houses in Bollywood.”

Varma’s comments underscore ongoing tensions in Tollywood, highlighting a perceived disconnect between industry practices and market realities.