Harish Shankar, Chota K Naidu spar over Jr NTR's Ramayya Vasthavayya. Why now?
It all started with cinematographer Chota K Naidu accusing director Harish Shankar of being a "bad boss" to work with.
Apr 22, 2024
Jr NTR in Ramayya Vasthavayya.
A war of words has erupted between director Harish Shankar and cinematographer Chota K Naidu over a decade-old film, Ramayya Vasthavayya, starring Telugu superstar Jr NTR in the lead role.
The issue gained a lot of traction after Harish dashed off a strongly worded letter, slamming Chota K Naidu for "insulting him" repeatedly. The letter even ended with a warning that any more unpleasant statements against him would receive a more stringent response.
It all started with Naidu accusing Harish of being a "bad boss" to work with. He suggested that Harish denied him a collaborative space while shooting for Ramayya Vasthavayya, resulting in a deeply flawed movie. “When I worked with Harish Shankar for 'Ramayya Vastavayya,' he used to intervene every time. He would imagine how he wanted something to look and would keep interfering. I tried to explain to him, but he wasn’t in the mood to listen. I gave up and just did my work," Naidu alleged.
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Naidu plainly blamed Harish for the poor output of Ramayya Vasthavayya, which tanked at the box office when it was released in cinemas in 2013.
Harish slams Chota K Naidu
Harish, however, claimed that this was not the first time that Naidu was making such comments against him. He said he was forced to issue a clarification for the benefit of fans and friends who raised questions about his silence.
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“I didn't say anything wrong about you (Chota K Naidu) anywhere. But you have repeatedly spoken ill of me. Even if the person interviewing doesn't ask, even if it has nothing to do with me, I am constantly insulted," alleged Harish.
Harish also recalled that he wanted to fire Naidu from the project but refrained from doing so after producer Dil Raju advised against it. “There was a time when we discussed removing you (Chota) from the project and shooting with a different cameraman. However, because 'Gabbar Singh' (2012) was a hit, people would think I was arrogant for removing a cameraman. I completed the film with you because of what Raju garu (Dil Raju) said," he added.
Harish ended the letter with a warning for Naidu and expressed his willingness to debate him on the controversy on "any platform, any time."
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