During a recent roundtable discussion featuring producer Boney Kapoor, Tollywood producer Naga Vamsi, and actor Siddharth, Naga Vamsi praised the phenomenal success of Pushpa 2: The Rule, starring Allu Arjun. He highlighted its Hindi market impact, stating, “I don’t think the whole of Mumbai slept when Pushpa 2 collected over ₹80 crore nett in a single day, especially on a Sunday.”
This comment did not go unnoticed in Bollywood. Director Siddharth Anand, whose film Fighter underperformed at the box office, took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond. He posted, “Mumbai has always been the city that never sleeps. Some people don’t know our real Mumbai!” adding, “By the way, I have only lived in Bandra and Juhu, just FYI.”
Siddharth’s remarks fueled an online debate. While Bollywood fans backed him, many South Indian cinema supporters defended Naga Vamsi and questioned Bollywood’s reluctance to acknowledge the success of Pushpa 2 in the Hindi market. Critics of Siddharth also pointed out his comments on the audience amidst Fighter’s poor performance.
The clash has intensified discussions about Bollywood vs. South Indian cinema dynamics, with fans eagerly awaiting whether Naga Vamsi will address the controversy.
