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Long before he made Satya, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma had signed a film with megastar Chiranjeevi. However, after shooting just one song and a scene, RGV abruptly shelved the project. Around the same time, actor Sanjay Dutt was released on bail following his AK-56 case, and the filmmaker shifted his focus to making Daud. Since then, RGV’s relationship with Chiranjeevi — and even his family — has been far from cordial. Over the years, he’s often taken digs at Chiranjeevi’s films, political career, and even his public appearances on social media.
Despite the criticism, Chiranjeevi recently surprised many when he promoted the re-release of Shiva (1989), starring Nagarjuna and directed by RGV. That film is slated to re-release on November 14. In a heartfelt video, the megastar recalled being “stunned” after watching Shiva for the first time. He praised RGV’s vision and described how he once believed the filmmaker would shape the future of Telugu cinema.
Moved by the gesture, RGV took to X (formerly Twitter) to apologise, writing: “Thank you, Chiranjeevi gaaru. Also, on this occasion, I want to sincerely apologise to you if I ever unintentionally offended you. Thank you once again for your large-heartedness.”
However, Chiranjeevi’s fans weren’t convinced. They flooded the comments section of the post, reminding the director that his earlier comments were hardly “unintentional.” One fan wrote, “You did it intentionally, Ramu. You can’t take that back.” Another added, “If you had realised your ego 25 years ago, Tollywood would have gone beyond imagination.”
Back in 2015, Ram Gopal Varma had mocked Chiranjeevi’s much-anticipated 150th film, suggesting he should direct it himself since “he knows more than every director.” He even ridiculed the film’s poster, saying, “Madame Tussauds will throw half her museum out for this.”
Around the same period, RGV also took jabs at Chiranjeevi’s brother Naga Babu, prompting a response from Chiranjeevi during a media interaction. The actor stated, “My family members are hurt by Ram Gopal Varma constantly targeting us for no fault of ours.”
When asked about their unfinished film, Chiranjeevi clarified that it was the filmmaker who had walked away after shooting a few scenes to make Daud with Sanjay Dutt. The actor added that he holds no grudge, saying he shares neither a “good nor bad” relationship with the filmmaker.
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