After bashing Bollywood, Naga Vamsi calls KJo his 'inspiration'
What's the story
Telugu producer Naga Vamsi recently came under fire for his remarks on Hindi filmmakers, which he made during a producers' roundtable discussion with Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor.
He implied that Bollywood was mostly catering to audiences in Bandra and Juhu, inviting the ire of industry personalities like Hansal Mehta and Sanjay Gupta.
Now, in light of the controversy, Vamsi has apologized and clarified his position.
Apology issued
'I never wanted to disrespect anyone, especially Bollywood...'
Speaking to Telugu360, Vamsi regretted the controversy.
He said, "If they really believe I disrespected Boney, I am sorry. I never wanted to disrespect anyone, especially Bollywood."
"As a South Indian, I was just proud of the kind of work we have done post-COVID-19."
He also explained that his comments weren't meant to belittle Hindi cinema but to highlight the achievements of South Indian cinema.
Inspiration revealed
Vamsi cited Johar as his inspiration in filmmaking
Further in the interview, Vamsi revealed that his inspiration to become a filmmaker came from Bollywood's Karan Johar.
He expressed his admiration for Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Deepika Padukone.
He said, "Karan Johar is my inspiration for coming to films, not any Telugu director. Ever since I watched Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, I knew I wanted to make a rich-looking film like that someday."
Cinema pride
Vamsi's comments were a reflection of South Indian cinema's success
Vamsi clarified that his controversial remarks were a reflection of his pride in the recent success of South Indian cinema.
He gave examples of SS Rajamouli's RRR and Baahubali, Prashanth Neel's KGF, Rishab Shetty's Kantara, Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal, and Atlee's Jawan.
"Because South Indians made all these films...I just pointed out how well we performed."
He also confirmed that his relationship with Kapoor remained cordial after the interview. "Boney Kapoor and I were fine after the interview."