Prakash Raj says Rajamouli is being trolled for casting him in Varanasi: ‘Who will ban it?’

The latest online campaign against Prakash Raj has reached SS Rajamouli. In an interview, the actor said social media users are now questioning the filmmaker for casting him in Varanasi. Prakash Raj, who is shooting the film, said he isn’t worried.

Boycotts haven’t hurt his films

Calls to boycott Prakash Raj’s films have become routine on X, especially since he began speaking out on politics. But the actor argued to NTV’s Point Blank, that these campaigns have done little at the box office. “When I starred in KGF, they had a problem with me acting in it. It made so much money; what do you do now? You said, let’s ban Prakash Raj, and yet Drishyam 3 collected more. Who can stop movies? At most, they can stop films I produce. I am primarily an actor. I am in Varanasi now. On X, they are questioning Rajamouli for casting me in the film. Who will be able to ban it?”

The most his critics can realistically affect, he said, is a film he produces himself. As an actor working on other people’s projects, he sees little they can do. “Who can stop movies?” he asked. He added that audiences who know and enjoy his work have never had a problem with him.

'Judge me by my work'

The host also raised his history in the Telugu industry, where he has been banned eight times over complaints of unprofessional conduct. Prakash Raj smiled and defended his choices. He said he values living honestly, even when that brings trouble, and that he has neither stolen from anyone nor harmed anyone.

On punctuality, he said an artist can’t be expected to keep fixed hours like someone clocking in and out. Working across five languages and travelling constantly, he said, makes clashes in scheduling unavoidable.

A long-running friction with Tollywood

In 2008, Prakash Raj became the first actor to be banned by the Telugu film industry. Most of the later bans followed similar complaints about missed shoot dates or late arrivals on set. Producers of Jalsa, Kantri and Parugu also said he was unwilling to compromise during production.

His relationship with the industry soured further in 2021, when he ran for president of the Movie Artists Association (MAA) against Vishnu Manchu. Rival campaigners labelled him an “outsider” because he was born in Karnataka, despite his long Telugu filmography. He lost the election even with backing from figures such as Chiranjeevi, and later alleged irregularities in the vote.

MAA elections still pending

On the show, Prakash Raj noted that the association hasn’t held elections since 2021, although its rules call for a vote every two years. In 2024, the general body allowed Vishnu Manchu’s panel to stay in office until a new MAA building is finished. Two years on, there has been no public update on that building.