Director Vijay Kanakamedala faces backlash over resurfaced meme mocking Mega Family members Chiranjeevi-Ram Charan
Picture Credit: Facebook
Director
Vijay Kanakamedala
is facing heat just days before the release of his new film 'Bhairavam'. The film, starring Bellamkonda Sreenivas, Manchu Manoj, and Nara Rohith, is scheduled to hit theaters on May 30, 2025.
However, an old social media post from 2011 resurfaced and sparked outrage among fans of Telugu superstars
Chiranjeevi
,
Pawan Kalyan
, and
Ram Charan
, leading to calls for a boycott of the film.
Mock poster triggers backlash
It happened after internet users dug up a meme Vijay had posted on his Facebook page over a decade ago. The meme was a parody of the poster for the Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan film 'Paa', but with the faces of Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan morphed onto it.
The title was changed from "Paa" to "Chaa", and the poster humorously claimed it was "written and directed by Allu Aravind," a prominent producer and father of Ram Charan. Vijay's caption read, "samajika nayam presents Chaaaaaaaa," which roughly translates to "social justice presents Chaa." Though the post has since been deleted, screenshots and recordings quickly spread across social media.
Mega fans demand boycott
Fans of the Mega family stars Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, and Ram Charan were quick to express their displeasure, demanding a boycott of 'Bhairavam'.
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The backlash was intense, with many accusing Vijay of disrespecting their beloved stars.
Director responds to controversy
In response, Vijay took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the situation. He claimed he was unaware of how the post ended up on his Facebook page and suggested that his account might have been hacked.
He wrote in Telugu which loosely translates to, "I have been trolled a little on social media. Even before that, I was supported by Mega fans. But today, without my knowledge, I came to know that for about 30 minutes, Mega fans have also been trolling me. They are trolling me for posting a post on Facebook sometime in 2011. It was not my post.. Something happened.. It must have been hacked"
He expressed his respect and admiration for the Mega family, pointing out his professional connections with them.
Vijay reminded fans that he had worked on Pawan Kalyan's blockbuster 'Gabbar Singh' and that Pawan had introduced him to Sai Dharam Tej, with whom Vijay shares a brotherly bond.
Taking responsibility for the post, Vijay apologized sincerely, acknowledging that whether or not he posted it knowingly, it appeared on his social media account. He promised to take measures to prevent such incidents in the future and appealed for understanding, suggesting that someone opposed to his film might have been behind the hacking.
Despite Vijay's explanation and apology, many fans remained unconvinced. Skeptics questioned the plausibility of a hack from 11 years ago still being visible today and doubted why Vijay had not removed the post earlier if it was offensive. Some comments pointed out that hacking a Facebook account in 2011 was unlikely or that Vijay should have admitted to posting the meme himself and apologized for it sooner.
Even some supporters of Bhairavam expressed disappointment, suggesting that Vijay's claim of hacking sounded like an excuse and that a straightforward admission of a youthful mistake would have been more respectable.
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