Telugu producer Naga Vamsi faced criticism from filmmakers like Hansal Mehta and Sanjay Gupta for his comment about Hindi films catering to Bandra and Juhu audiences. After backlash, Vamsi apologised, clarified his stance, and acknowledged Karan Johar as his inspiration.
In an interview with Telugu36, Vamsi expressed regret and clarified that he never intended to disrespect Boney Kapoor or Bollywood. He explained that his remarks stemmed from pride in the achievements of the South Indian film industry, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vamsi shared that Karan Johar inspired his journey into filmmaking. He expressed admiration for Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Deepika Padukone, revealing that watching Kuch Kuch Hota Hai sparked his dream of creating visually rich films, more so than any Telugu director’s influence.
The director further clarified that his earlier remarks were rooted in pride for the remarkable success of South Indian films in recent years. He highlighted hits like SS Rajamouli’s RRR and Baahubali, Prashanth Neel’s KGF, Rishab Shetty’s Kantara, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, and Atlee’s Jawan, emphasizing the achievements of South Indian filmmakers.
Vamsi confirmed that he and Boney Kapoor remained cordial after the interview. He explained that his pride in South Indian cinema, citing Pushpa 2 breaking records unmatched by any Hindi film, was not arrogance but genuine appreciation for the industry’s success.
At the Galatta Plus roundtable, Vamsi remarked that South Indian films had transformed Bollywood’s perspective on cinema, claiming Bollywood was focused on catering to Bandra and Juhu audiences until hits like Baahubali, RRR, Animal, and Jawan. However, Boney Kapoor disagreed and dismissed his comments.
