Senior filmmaker Thammareddy Bharadwaj has voiced sharp opinions on the state of Telugu cinema, stressing that audiences—not directors—ultimately decide the success of a film. In a recent interview with iDream, he referred to the controversy around Tribandhari Barbaric director Mohan Srivats being attacked with a slipper, remarking that such incidents reflect misplaced expectations.
“Every director puts their soul into a film, but it’s the viewers’ choice whether to watch it or not,” Bharadwaj said. He criticized the growing practice of directors making aggressive claims on stage, insisting audiences owe them viewership. “Why should the audience care about how hard someone worked? For them, there’s no small or big film—if it appeals, they watch. We’ve seen many small films succeed as proof,” he noted.
On current box office trends, Bharadwaj observed that only a handful of heroes and heroines like Sai Pallavi are drawing crowds, while big-banner projects and star films have also struggled. “Even movies from Dil Raju and Sithara Productions have flopped. Success and failure are natural. Instead of panicking, filmmakers should keep creating. If a film has real strength, audiences will definitely watch,” he concluded.
