A social media storm erupted after director Sandeep Reddy Vanga appeared to take a veiled jab at Deepika Padukone, accusing her of engaging in manipulative PR tactics to tarnish his upcoming film Spirit.
What followed was a full-blown fan war, with supporters from both Bollywood and Tollywood jumping in to defend their favorites and attack the opposition.
Fans of Prabhas and Telugu cinema quickly rallied behind Vanga, with Telugu media outlets and influencer accounts expressing strong support for the homegrown filmmaker. The sentiment was clear — Vanga is "one of our own."
On the other side, Deepika Padukone’s loyal fan base, feminist voices, and a section of the Bollywood media stood firmly with the actress. They criticized Vanga for what they described as a misogynistic attitude and immature behavior.
Critics argued that Vanga's films follow a predictable "alpha male" formula, lack originality, and dismissed his claims about Deepika leaking the story as baseless.
Vanga’s supporters countered that Deepika became bitter after the director allegedly refused to accommodate her “unreasonable demands” and chose to cast a younger actress instead. They labeled her actions as unprofessional and motivated by personal vendetta.
As the controversy unfolds, both sides remain deeply entrenched, flooding social media with heated exchanges, memes, and commentary.
The digital battleground is buzzing — with no sign of a truce in sight.
