This story is from December 20, 2023
Director Venkatesh Maha deletes Twitter account after severe criticism from Prabhas fans for posting Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Dunki' movie ticket
Director Venkatesh Maha unknowingly found himself in a mess again ,which led to the deletion of his Twitter account. This isn't the first time he has landed in a controversial position, and both incidents are remotely connected to Prashanth Neel, with the first being about KGF and the latest involving 'Salaar.'
In a recent event, Venkatesh shared a screenshot of his booking confirmation for the Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Dunkni,’ set to release on December 21. While sharing the picture on his Twitter account, he expressed his excitement for the SRK movie, 'All set for #Dunki on the 1st day! Can't wait to see my favorite @iamsrk in a @RajkumarHirani garu's creative world! Heard there was a standing ovation at the Censor Board Screening. If that is true, I believe it is going to be a roller coaster ride of emotions for all the film lovers!’
Soon after, Prabhas fans and the Tollywood audience criticized him under the post, viewing it as promotion against Prashanth Neel's movie ‘Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire,’ set to clash with ‘Dunki’ on December 22. Earlier, the director had criticized KGF, questioning the mother character in the movie. He stated in an interview that no real mother would ask her son to chase money by any means, and such movies should not be celebrated.
This time, fans perceived it as a deliberate targeting against Prashanth, accusing Venkatesh of promoting a Bollywood movie over a Tollywood one. Faced with severe criticism, the director deleted his Twitter account. Fans emphasized that it was not a Bollywood versus Tollywood issue but rather a perception of partiality.
It became an issue only because he did not mention anything about the Salaar trailer, which got released recently, but promoted Dunki. People said that he failed to make a comment about Prashanth Neel's venture but did not hesitate to share a Bollywood release.
Before deleting the account, he wrote, 'Ok guys, calm down. I think you are mistaking a coincidence. I have no other intentions while writing my previous post than sharing my excitement for Dunki. I just got to know that the trailer of Salaar got released after your comments.'
He requested fans to stop making assumptions, writing, 'Stop talking without knowing facts, guys. I am a big fan of Prabhas garu since his first film, and I always wished to work with him. There were many instances I openly said it. I just watched the trailer of Salaar too, and it looks amazing. Just don’t create a mess for everything and alter the facts. I told you not to do this just a few days ago, I think it is time for you guys to move on from me.'
Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”
This time, fans perceived it as a deliberate targeting against Prashanth, accusing Venkatesh of promoting a Bollywood movie over a Tollywood one. Faced with severe criticism, the director deleted his Twitter account. Fans emphasized that it was not a Bollywood versus Tollywood issue but rather a perception of partiality.
It became an issue only because he did not mention anything about the Salaar trailer, which got released recently, but promoted Dunki. People said that he failed to make a comment about Prashanth Neel's venture but did not hesitate to share a Bollywood release.
He requested fans to stop making assumptions, writing, 'Stop talking without knowing facts, guys. I am a big fan of Prabhas garu since his first film, and I always wished to work with him. There were many instances I openly said it. I just watched the trailer of Salaar too, and it looks amazing. Just don’t create a mess for everything and alter the facts. I told you not to do this just a few days ago, I think it is time for you guys to move on from me.'
Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”
end of article
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