In the latest turn of events from the Telugu film industry, the office of famed actor Vijay Deverakonda has taken a significant and legal step against what it perceives as a deliberate and malicious campaign to tarnish the actor’s professional image. Following the release of his newest film “Family Star,” there has been a noticeable surge of what his team deems “negative propaganda” actively circulating on social media platforms and YouTube.
The contentious content seemingly reached a tipping point, consequentially prompting the actor’s personal manager, Anurag Parvataneni, and the president of Vijay’s fan association, Nishant Kumar, to formally lodge a complaint. The spotlight has not only been on the denigrating commentary aimed at the celeb’s latest cinematic offering but extends to personal slights directed at Deverakonda himself. The film, which co-stars Mrunal Thakur and is helmed by director Parasuram Petla, had debuted to the public on April 5, under the prestigious production banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations, operated by producers Dil Raju and Shirish.
In an environment where box office results can be significantly influenced by public perception and social media discourse, the creators behind “Family Star” have signaled a zero-tolerance stance toward what they’ve labeled as coordinated online attacks. Not shying away from publicizing the matter, the production house shared via a tweet that swift police action was already underway. Authorities have begun the meticulous process of tracing the seemingly fake accounts and their operators that have played a part in the online blitzkrieg of negative publicity.
Citing a determination by certain groups to thwart the film from achieving success and impeding Deverakonda from ascending further into stardom, the film’s producers have spoken out. Before the film was even available to the general audience, these disparaging posts already filled social media spaces, a fact that the Sri Venkateswara Creations’ statement underscored, backed by collected screenshots as evidence.
The makers have raised concerns regarding the tangible impact of such social media activity on the film’s revenue potential. The statement issued by the production house underscored a promise they have received from the police to thoroughly investigate the case and apprehend those behind the targeted negative campaigns which they believe stem from a place of deep-seated malice.
“Family Star” delves into the narrative of a middle-class individual, portrayed by Vijay, whose life undergoes dramatic changes upon the introduction of a new tenant. Despite its storyline, the film did not escape the severe critique of film critics, nor was it spared in public opinion; a significant portion of the audience echoed the negative sentiments expressed by reviewers.
This incident underscores the growing complexities and the friction between the unabridged freedom of the digital landscape and the entertainment industry’s vulnerabilities to such phenomena. The resolution of this dispute and its repercussions may set precedents for how similar scenarios are managed within the Telugu film fraternity, specifically, and the Indian cinema industry as a whole. The investigation remains ongoing, with the implicated parties awaiting the outcomes that will inevitably unfold from this intriguing chapter in the realm of Indian entertainment.
