The new Telugu horror comedy Korean Kanakaraju starring Varun Tej has found itself in the middle of a social media storm. A comedy scene featuring actor Satya imitating a famous dialogue and gestures of legendary actor Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) from the 1978 film Yuga Purushudu has upset many NTR fans. The movie, which released in theatres on August 7, 2026, is now facing backlash from fans who feel the iconic actor was disrespected. Some fans have even accused the filmmakers of deliberately making the old NTR scene viral on social media before the film’s release as a promotional tactic.
The Scene That Started the Debate
The controversy centers around a scene from NTR’s classic movie Yuga Purushudu. In that original scene, NTR’s character Rajesh confronts Chandra Mohan’s character Anand after a fight. Rajesh questions Anand about his fighting skills and says, “Mister, mee stroke chala amateurish ga undi. Idivaraku eppudaina fight chesara?” which means “Mister, your stroke is very amateurish. Have you ever fought before?” When Anand says he hasn’t, Rajesh asks if it’s because of a lack of opportunity. Anand replies, “No, it’s due to lack of necessity.”
In Korean Kanakaraju, Satya’s character Kishtappa spoofs this exchange. After getting beaten up repeatedly in a fight scene, Kishtappa gets some relief and jokes, “Veedi strokes chala immaturish ga unai,” which means “His strokes are so immature.” He also imitates NTR’s famous gestures from the original movie. The scene was meant to be funny, but it quickly became a major point of discussion online.
Fans React Strongly on Social Media
NTR fans did not take the spoof lightly. Social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter), have been flooded with angry comments from fans who believe the scene mocks the late legend.
“It would have been better if the director had thought twice before including something that mocks Anna garu’s dialogue. Putting content in the movie that has already gone viral is one thing. But showing a scene from an old movie—especially from Anna garu’s industry-hit film—in this way is deplorable.”
Some fans have gone further, alleging that the filmmakers intentionally made the old NTR scene trend again just before the movie’s release so that audiences would recognize the reference. One fan wrote, “Sr NTR meme reference 1 year back trend ayyindi. Ee madya 1 week nundi malli trend avutundi. Antha sudden ga cinema lo scene add cheyyadam kastam so munde scene petti theatre lo click avvali ani social media lo ruddadam start chesaru.” This translates to the fan claiming the meme was planted on purpose to create buzz.
“Actually ee matter ni sportive ga thiskoni lyt thisukunevadni… Bt the way how these guys put this scene in the movie and later conveniently planned to troll Sr NTR before 3-4 days of Movie release date. Worst to the core.”
Other comments included accusations like “So they planted NTR meme on purpose” and “So actually idantha PR plan aa to make viral??” Several fans have even demanded that the filmmakers remove the scene from the movie.
However, not everyone agrees with the backlash. Some viewers have defended the scene, saying it is just a harmless recreation of the original. One fan commented, “Am I missing somthing here? Isn’t the scene just recreation of the old one? At first glance, I didn’t see any troll on Sr. NTR.”
Varun Tej Responds to the Controversy
The team behind Korean Kanakaraju addressed the issue at a press meet shortly after the backlash grew. Varun Tej clarified that the scene was shot in November last year and was never meant to disrespect anyone.
“Those portions were shot last November with the same dialogue. There is a huge difference between trolling and imitation. We only imitate great actors. We never intended to disrespect Sr. NTR. For example, I imitated Pawan Kalyan garu’s Vakeel Saab role in F3. We did it in a healthy spirit. Even during the promotional campaign, Satya imitated Krishna garu and Chiranjeevi garu.”
Varun Tej added that the imitations are done in a fun space and only because these actors are great. He said, “We never had any wrong intentions. The social media reactions are not in our control. People are enjoying the scenes in theatres. Satya has imitated many actors in his previous films. Zero disrespect to anyone.”
Director Merlapaka Gandhi also explained the team’s side. He said that the scene was included because the meme was already trending online at the time of shooting. “While we shot that scene, that video was trending online. It’s quite common to include trending memes in films these days, as they are likely to strike a chord with the audience in theatres. Once again, that video started doing the rounds on social media.”
Mixed Reviews for the Film
Despite the controversy, Korean Kanakaraju has received a mixed response from audiences and critics. The film had paid premieres on August 6 and officially released in theatres worldwide on August 7. Early reports suggest that the first half of the movie has been praised for its comedy and action sequences. However, the second half and the VFX-heavy climax have received criticism.
Some reviews have pointed out that the film struggles with an uneven screenplay and a lengthy runtime of 165 minutes. The horror-comedy, directed by Merlapaka Gandhi, also stars Ritika Nayak, Daksha Nagarkar, and Sunil in important roles.
Varun Tej, who is the nephew of megastar Chiranjeevi, has called this film his biggest success in nearly six years. He shared that Chiranjeevi spoke to him for about half an hour after the initial response came in. Varun also mentioned that his wife Lavanya Tripathi thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
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What the Controversy Means
The debate around this scene shows how strongly fans feel about the legacy of legendary actors like NTR. For many, NTR is not just an actor but an icon, and any reference to him is taken very seriously. While the filmmakers maintain that the scene was meant as a lighthearted imitation and not an insult, a section of fans continues to see it as disrespectful.
Some fans have chosen to see the humor in the scene, while others remain upset. The discussion has also raised questions about where to draw the line between comedy and respect when it comes to beloved cultural figures.
Korean Kanakaraju is currently playing in theatres. The film’s team is hopeful that the positive word-of-mouth will translate into a successful run over the weekend. Whether the controversy will help or hurt the movie’s box office performance remains to be seen.
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