Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has waded into the ongoing controversy surrounding Telugu actor Sivaji’s remarks on women’s clothing, launching a scathing attack and calling him out in strong terms on social media.
Sivaji’s comments, made at a recent pre-release event, triggered widespread backlash, with several celebrities and netizens branding them misogynistic and regressive.
The controversy has since escalated, drawing sharp reactions from members of the Telugu film industry including Chinmayi Sripada, Manchu Manoj, Lakshmi Manchu, and Anasuya Bharadwaj.
He wrote on X, "I don't know that fellow's full name and hence I am commenting here... Hey Sivaji whatever you are, if the women in your home are willing to bear an uncouth, dirty guy like you, you are welcome to moral police them ..With regard to the other women in society or film industry or wherever, you can put your opinions in where they belong."
What Sivaji Said at the Pre-Release Event
The controversy began at the pre-release event of Dhandora, where Sivaji, who recently played the antagonist in Court, made unsolicited comments about women’s clothing while praising the female anchor for wearing a saree.
Addressing the audience in Telugu, Sivaji urged actresses to avoid wearing revealing outfits and instead choose sarees or fully covering dresses. He claimed that beauty lies in “complete attire” rather than in displaying physical features and went on to suggest that women who dress differently may be appreciated publicly but mocked privately.
He further added that women should be respected like nature and compared them to his mother, whom he said he holds close to his heart. Sivaji cited legendary actresses and Rashmika Mandanna as examples of women who earned respect through both their work and what he described as modest dressing.
Concluding his speech, Sivaji said that freedom should be exercised with restraint and warned that glamour should have limits and not cross a certain line.
