Veteran actor Rajendra Prasad is currently promoting his upcoming web series Harikatha. The actor recently found himself at the center of a controversy due to comments made at the series’ pre-release event.
While discussing unconventional hero portrayals, he remarked, “Today, the hero is a smuggler,” which many interpreted as a dig at Allu Arjun’s character Pushpa from Pushpa: The Rise. Given Rajendra Prasad’s friendly rapport with Allu Arjun, the comment surprised many. However, in a subsequent interview, Rajendra Prasad clarified the context of his statement.
“I am genuinely happy that a Telugu actor received a National Film Award after so many years. My comments were taken out of context. I was referring to how my roles in films like Ladies Tailor, Appula Appa Rao, and April 1 Vidudala were not conventional heroic characters but rather flawed, everyday individuals. In that sense, even Pushpa’s character is rooted in reality,” he said.
Despite his explanation, the tone of his earlier remarks did not sit well with some audiences. However, his clarification helped dispel misunderstandings and reinforced his respect for Allu Arjun’s achievement and the film’s success.
On the other hand, Harikatha is a web series that will be released on the 13th of this month. Maggi is the series director, and Sasikiran Narayana is the executive producing it. Vijay Ulaganath is the DOP, and Kiran Mamidi is the art director. Junaid Siddique is the editor. Suresh Bobbili is the music director, and Suresh Jai is the writer.
The series will be streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Rajendra Prasad’s comments might have clarified his intention, but he still needs to change the context, and he more or less means the same. However, the topic he brought up could be more helpful. We hope that Allu Arjun’s fans are pacified.
