Filmmakers Hansal Mehta and Siddharth Anand have addressed Telugu producer Naga Vamsi’s recent remarks about Bollywood. Vamsi, known for producing Lucky Bhaskar, claimed that Bollywood primarily caters to audiences in Mumbai’s upscale areas, such as Bandra and Juhu. His statement, made during a producers’ roundtable hosted by Galatta Plus, drew criticism from Hansal and Siddharth, who called his views dismissive.
Hansal Mehta, director of The Buckingham Murders, took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond. In his post, he criticized Vamsi’s attitude and highlighted similarities between Lucky Bhaskar and the Scam series, suggesting that the film borrowed elements from the latter. Hansal added, “Stories travel, and a film in another language succeeding is a win for everyone. Arrogance and a divisive narrative do not help anyone.”
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Hansal also reacted to a clip where Vamsi claimed that all of Mumbai must have stayed awake when Pushpa achieved significant box office success. Refuting the claim, Hansal wrote, “Chill, dude, whoever you are. I live in Mumbai and have been sleeping well.”
Siddharth Anand, director of Fighter, joined the conversation by reposting Hansal’s comment. Siddharth responded, “Mumbai has always been the city that never sleeps. Some people don’t seem to know the real Mumbai.”
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During the roundtable discussion, Vamsi had credited South Indian cinema for transforming Indian filmmaking, citing the success of films like Baahubali, RRR, and Jawan. While he acknowledged the global appeal of South Indian cinema, his comments about Bollywood sparked debate among filmmakers.
The exchange has highlighted ongoing discussions about the influence of South Indian films and the evolution of Bollywood’s approach to storytelling and audience engagement.
