Sandeep Reddy Vanga hits back at critics linking films to Andhra attack
The director stated that tragic incidents should be met with empathy rather than using cinema as a scapegoat to settle personal scores.
Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has responded to criticism linking his films to a recent chainsaw attack on a Class 10 student in Andhra Pradesh. According to reports from India Today, the filmmaker argued that people should focus on understanding the root causes of such crimes instead of blaming movies.
The controversy follows an incident on October 31, 2026, in Raptadu, Anantapur district, where a 21-year-old man named Hemanth allegedly attacked a girl with a mechanised chainsaw in a classroom. The victim was reportedly targeted after rejecting his advances, and another student was also injured while trying to protect her.
Vanga took to social media to suggest that some critics were using the tragedy as a way to target the work of others. He alleged that certain actors, directors, and producers were acting as social reformers only to settle personal scores. He stated that a tragedy requires empathy rather than opportunism.
The debate was intensified after YouTuber Dhruv Rathee suggested that films like Animal and Dhurandhar could provide templates for criminals. While some social media users blamed such films for normalising violence, others defended the filmmakers, arguing that fictional stories should not be held responsible for real-life crimes.
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma also weighed in on the discussion, stating that blaming cinema for the rise in violence is misplaced.