Filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga has hit back at critics who have blamed A-rated films with bloodshed and gore for normalising violence in society. He slammed critics for using real-life tragedies as an excuse to target his and others’ work, accusing them of being more interested in settling personal scores than addressing the larger issue.
Vanga made his directorial debut with the 2017 Telugu film Arjun Reddy, starring Vijay Deverakonda. The film was a major success and was later remade in Hindi as Kabir Singh in 2019, featuring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani. Centred on a complicated father-son relationship and a man’s obsessive need for his father’s approval, the film became a major box-office success, crossing ₹ 900 crore worldwide. Originally slated for release in March 2027, the film is now scheduled to hit theatres on October 29, 2027.
Before Sandeep’s post, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma had also come to the defence of films after several X users shared pictures and videos from recent releases such as Animal and KGF, pointing out how these films depict violence without consequences. Responding to the criticism, the filmmaker wrote, “Blaming films for rise in violence is like, blaming Ramayana for rise in kidnappings. The Hindi remake also emerged as a commercial success, while sparking considerable debate over its portrayal of masculinity, relationships and violence. His next directorial, Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Triptii Dimri, took his filmmaking style into darker and more violent territory. However, it also attracted criticism for its portrayal of toxic masculinity, misogyny and graphic violence. The filmmaker is now awaiting the release of Spirit, starring Prabhas and Triptii Dimri in lead roles. The film also features Vivek Oberoi, Kanchana and Aishwarya Desai in key roles. Its promotional material hints at a story centred on a disgraced cop.
