Prakash Raj Addresses 8 Telugu Bans and Varanasi Casting Row

Prakash Raj is not treating the latest round of boycott chatter as a crisis. The multilingual actor, who works across five languages, told NTV’s Point Blank talk show that online campaigns against his films have a poor track record at the ticket window.

Boycott noise vs box-office reality

He pointed to two of his biggest releases to make the argument. When KGF released, he said, there was similar upset about his presence in the film; it went on to earn handsomely. Later, Drishyam 3 collected more despite fresh calls to ‘ban Prakash Raj’ on social media.

‘Who can stop movies?’ he asked, arguing that at most such campaigns could affect films he produces. As an actor, he said, his work keeps finding an audience.

Rajamouli questioned over Varanasi casting

The actor revealed that the backlash has now moved to director SS Rajamouli. Prakash Raj is part of the filmmaker’s upcoming project Varanasi, and he said users on X are questioning Rajamouli for casting him. His reply is blunt: if his earlier films survived boycott calls, a Rajamouli project is unlikely to be stopped by hashtags.

A simple answer to eight bans

The conversation also turned to the eight bans he has reportedly faced in the Telugu film industry over allegations of unprofessional behaviour, beginning in 2008. Prakash Raj did not contest the number. Instead, he said he is comfortable with people having different opinions about him and asked to be judged by his work.

• KGF and Drishyam 3 both faced campaigns and still performed well
• He says he has faced eight Telugu industry bans since 2008
• Varanasi has made SS Rajamouli a target of online criticism over his casting
• His Kannada film Father is scheduled for December 4

Why the box office keeps the final say

Boycott calls have become a familiar part of an Indian film release, but the actor’s argument is that actual theatre performance has repeatedly told a different story. For a performer, he says, the audience’s verdict matters more than the loudest hashtag. The larger lesson is not that campaigns are powerless; it is that an actor’s filmography can answer criticism more convincingly than a social media rebuttal.

Prakash Raj was last seen in the Ajay Devgn-led Drishyam 3, which remains the final instalment of the mystery crime-drama series. His next theatrical outing is the Kannada emotional drama Father, set for December 4. With Varanasi building momentum, the conversation around his casting is unlikely to fade soon.

Source: The Times of India