Ridiculously laughable: RGV defends Allu Aravind over Yash-KGF remark

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has come out in support of producer Allu Aravind amid the controversy over his 2023 remark, “Who was Yash before KGF?”, which has resurfaced amid the negative response to Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups. Calling the backlash “ridiculously laughable”, Varma said Aravind’s statement was being taken out of context and was meant to highlight how films can turn actors into major stars.

In a lengthy note on X, Varma explained that when Aravind said he did not know Yash before KGF, he was referring to how films can create stars rather than depending solely on an actor’s existing popularity.

“The controversy regarding #AlluAravind ‘s statement regarding #Yash is ridiculously laughable because what he clearly meant when he talked about big films with unknown actors and saying he dint know of Yash before KGF , even a dumbo should understand that it was in the context of the below (sic),” he wrote.

Varma pointed to several examples to make his argument. He said Hindi audiences were largely unfamiliar with Prabhas before Baahubali and with Rishab Shetty before Kantara. He also cited Marlon Brando, saying audiences may not have known him before The Godfather, while his earlier Hollywood work included films such as A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront.

“The Hindi audience dint know Prabhas before Bahubali , they dint know Rishab before Kantara , I dint know Brando before Godfather..Maybe he was a star before in his films A street car named desire , on the water front etc ..I don’t know if they released in india also... That’s because those films made them big stars and not the other way around (sic),” he added.

“That's because those films made them big stars and not the other way around,” Varma wrote, arguing that Hollywood has often backed concept-driven films rather than relying entirely on established stars.

He further cited Christopher Nolan’s films as an example, saying actors are chosen for their acting abilities rather than merely for their star power. According to Varma, films such as Oppenheimer or The Odyssey would attract audiences regardless of who was cast.

Addressing the criticism against Aravind, the 64-year-old said only “highly egotistic people” would take the producer’s general observation personally. He concluded that the backlash itself was reflective of the kind of cinema being made today.

Aravind’s comments date back to 2023, when he was discussing the rising cost of film production and the impact of star remuneration on big-budget projects.

During the conversation, the Telugu producer brought up KGF and questioned Yash’s stardom before the film became a blockbuster. “Who was Yash before KGF?” he asked, while arguing that the film’s scale, visual spectacle and making played a major role in its success.

The remark drew criticism from Yash’s fans and has resurfaced several times whenever the actor’s career comes under discussion.

The old Aravind comment has once again found its way onto social media after Yash's mother Pushpa’s remarks, with users drawing a direct connection between the two.