Director Venkatesh Maha recently participated in a Youtube Round Table interview. With co-directors Nandini Reddy, Indraganti Mohana Krishna, Shiva Nirvana, and Vivek Athreya. However, the director stirred controversy with his questionable behavior during the interview.
Venkatesh Maha, who shot to fame with C/o Kancherapalem later directed Uma Mahesh Ugraroopasya which was well received by the audience. The director who never involved in any controversies made a joke about Prashant Neel’s KGF 2 and criticized the hero’s character, calling him a “Neech Kamine Kutte.” Maha appeared animated and agitated while sharing his opinion, as if he had a personal rivalry with Neel and was relishing in tearing apart his movie’s success.
While it’s common for commercial films to have shallow stories, Maha’s casual attitude towards criticizing Neel’s film raises questions about his biases towards Telugu directors. Can he be equally critical of mindless commercial entertainers featuring top Telugu heroes? It’s disappointing to see directors taking a moral high ground with their own work while ridiculing others just because they come from different languages.
It’s even more disheartening to see other directors enjoying Maha’s jibe at Neel’s film. While Shiva Nirvana appeared uncomfortable at times, other directors Nandini Reddy, Indraganti, and Viveka Athreya were rolling on the floor with laughter. This behavior is disappointing and disrespectful towards the hard work and dedication that goes into making a movie, regardless of its language or commercial success.