Movie Artistes’ Association president and actor Manchu Vishnu on Thursday, August 22 wrote a letter to his counterpart in the Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA), expressing his concerns over the comments made by Hindi actor Arshad Warsi about Prabhas’ role in the recent film Kalki 2898 AD. In his letter to CINTAA president Poonam Dhillon, Vishnu said that the “belittling comment” made by Arshad against Prabhas has hurt the sentiments of the Telugu film community and his fans.
In a recent podcast, Arshad while commenting on Kalki 2898 AD said, “Prabhas, I am really sad, why was he… he was like a joker. Why? I want to see a Mad Max. I want to see Mel Gibson over there. What have you made of it? Why do they do such things, I never understand.”
“In today’s age of social media, where every word can quickly escalate into widespread debate, it is crucial that we, as public figures, exercise caution in our expressions. Words have power, and they can either build bridges or create rifts. Mr. Warsi’s remark, unfortunately, has created unnecessary negativity among cinema lovers and within our fraternity. We request that Mr. Warsi be advised to refrain from making such remarks about fellow actors in the future. It is essential that we maintain the dignity and respect that each of our colleagues deserves, regardless of their regional affiliation,” Vishnu’s letter read.
While Arshad was referring to the goofiness of the character portrayed by Prabhas in the film, Prabhas’ fans misinterpreted it as an insult against him. The misinterpreted comment led to a torrent of abuses against the Jolly LLB actor. In Kalki, Prabhas plays the character of Bhairava, a laid-back character with gray shades.
Not just fans, even Telugu actors Sudheer Babu and Nani got involved in the controversy.
Responding to Arshad’s comments, Nani said, “The person that you’re referring to, this must be the most publicity he has got in his life. You are unnecessarily glorifying an unimportant matter.”