Actor-producer Rana Daggubati has brushed off controversy claims regarding Nani’s disappointment over Jai Bhim not getting a National Award, saying the Dasara star had only expressed his opinion as a viewer.
“Each one is entitled to his opinion. I like different kinds of movies, you like something else. It is the same with the artists. If a film that one loves a lot doesn’t win, that makes him very sad. That’s it,” Daggubati said during an interaction at the recently held South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) 2023 event.
“It doesn’t mean that he is disappointed with another person winning the award. It is never a controversy. It was just a tweet. Amongst us, there’s never controversy,” the Baahubali actor further said in response to a fan questioning if Nani’s reaction showed competitiveness between the Telugu stars.
Soon after the 69th National Film Awards were announced on August 24, Nani took to his Instagram stories and wrote “Jai Bhim” along with a heartbreak emoji. While many sided with Nani for supporting Jai Bhim, some Telugu fans were disappointed with the Dasara actor for not celebrating Allu Arjun’s National Award win for Pushpa: The Rise.
During the SIIMA event, Daggubati clarified that it's not about the individuals involved but the story of Jai Bhim, which deserved more recognition. He stressed that Nani’s post wasn’t the reason for any controversy.
According to Daggubati, the real controversy involves media coverage, articles, videos, and YouTube videos generating significant attention and debate. The controversies, he said, were based on assumptions.
Jai Bhim and Sarpatta Parambarai were critically acclaimed Tamil films of 2022. But none of these films won at the National Films Awards, prompting debates about the process. Both films highlighted the caste politics and the situation of the marginalised communities.
Allu Arjun became the first Telugu actor to win the National Film Award for his performance as Pushpa Raj in Sukumar’s crime-action film.
You can watch the full video of the SIIMA 2023 Press Meet here
