6 times Sandeep Reddy Vanga hit headlines with his controversial films and statements

Trigger Warning: This article includes references to violence.

Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has been making quite a buzz with his upcoming film Spirit and the controversy surrounding the lead female. While the internet is divided between supporting and standing against him, this is not the first time Vanga has stirred controversy.

Let’s take a look at how Vanga hit the headlines earlier too with his statements and movies.

6 times when Sandeep Reddy Vanga made controversies

1. Debut with Arjun Reddy

Arjun Reddy has surely been one of the most iconic films in Vijay Deverakonda’s filmography, marking Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s directorial debut. While the movie was a massive success, critical reviews and public reactions were mixed. 

The film had polarized reactions with one faction enjoying it for the intense portrayal of love and heartbreak while remaining calling it out for its staunch portrayal of misogyny and male chauvinism.

2. Reaction towards Kabir Singh 

Sandeep Reddy Vanga hit headlines after his debut film Arjun Reddy was remade in Bollywood as Kabir Singh. The Shahid Kapoor starrer once again delved deep into the chaotic character of an “Alpha-Male” and how distorted one can become while dealing with heartbreak.

As the heat had exponentially grown with Kabir Singh, many were calling out the director for glorifying male toxicity and problematic relationships. But, it was Vanga’s follow-up reaction that caught even more attention.

In an interaction back in the day, the director said, “If you can't slap, touch, kiss, or cuss your woman, I don’t see any emotion there.” His statement had certain sections of society, mostly feminists, up in arms, slamming him for promoting toxic relationships.

3. Animal and continuation of misogynistic remarks

Just like Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh, Animal—one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema, was also caught in the crossfire of polarizing reactions. With various elements of the film being called out, the Ranbir Kapoor starrer was labeled misogynistic by several sections of society. They once again called out Vanga for glorifying toxic male characters.

While this may or may not be true, Vanga had commented on how many people purposely targeted the director, crew, and film while praising Ranbir Kapoor’s performance.

In an interview post Animal’s release, the director said, “The film industry slammed Animal, but they showered praise on Ranbir Kapoor. I’m not jealous of him, but there’s a pattern here—when they don’t like a film, they target the director and spare the actors.”

4. Comment on Javed Akhtar

Following the success of Animal starring Ranbir Kapoor, the reactions towards the film were harsh. Vanga focuses on the grit of characters and complex dark personalities, but his movie received hate from various sections and criticism from Javed Akhtar.

In an interaction, the veteran story writer labeled the film “dangerous for society” and stressed, “If 15 people have made a film with the wrong values, if 10-12 people make obscene songs, that’s not the problem. But when that content becomes a superhit, that's the problem.”

However, Vanga, being who he is, replied in trademark sarcasm and said, “Javed Akhtar said it's dangerous for society, and I agree with him. But if Javed Ji wasn't a lyricist or story writer, I'd take his words seriously.”

5. Criticism against violence in films

In his entire filmography, Sandeep has made headlines with controversial elements in his films, one being violence. With critics calling his films heavily violent, the director openly challenged that if they consider Kabir Singh and Arjun Reddy violent, he’ll show what true violence is with his next film, at that time being Animal.

With Animal’s release, the violence and gore had intensified, and he faced criticism for that as well. 

6. Spirit controversy: Sandeep Reddy Vanga vs Deepika Padukone

Spirit with Prabhas in the lead role has been making quite a buzz for quite some time now. While the makers have already announced the cast with Triptii Dimri headlining it, the ongoing unsaid feud between Sandeep Reddy and Deepika Padukone is surely turning into a heated topic.

As many already know, Deepika Padukone was initially onboard for the film, but later opted out of it, citing fees issues. While this carries on, the director has now alleged (without taking the name of the actress) and slammed her for playing “dirty PR games”.

In a tweet, the director said, “When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith. There is an unsaid NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) between us. But by doing this, You've 'DISCLOSED' the person that you are....”

“Putting down a Younger actor and ousting my story?  Is this what your feminism stands for ? As a filmmaker, I put years of hard work behind my craft & for me, filmmaking is everything. You didn't get it. You won't get it. You will never get it,” he continued and concluded that he didn’t care.

See how Sandeep Reddy Vanga has reacted

These are some of the instances with concern to Sandeep Reddy Vanga that have made the headlines over the years. As Spirit with Prabhas is expected to go on floors soon, we’d have to wait and watch how the film will turn out in true Vanga style!

Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.

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