Despite the widespread success of South Indian cinema, only a handful in Bollywood seem to genuinely appreciate its influence. Many Bollywood celebrities continue to believe that their industry is the sole creator of cinematic masterpieces in terms of content and box office collections. This perception endures even in the face of the global triumphs of South Indian films like Baahubali 1 & 2, Saaho, KGF 1 & 2, RRR, Karthikeya 2, and the recent blockbuster Kalki 2898 AD.

The debate flared up again due to controversial remarks made by Bollywood actor Arshad Warsi. In a recent interview, Warsi criticised Kalki 2898 AD, a Tollywood film that has become a global sensation, amassing over Rs. 1100 crore in box office collections. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the film and even referred to its lead actor, Prabhas, as a “joker” – a comment that many considered disrespectful.

The Munna Bhai actor went on to say that he had expected a Mad Max-style film and would have preferred a performance akin to that of Mel Gibson in Kalki 2898 AD. These comments have sparked outrage among Prabhas fans, who took to social media to call out the actor directly.

Meanwhile, Warsi, who is set to appear in Jolly LLB 3, also praised Bollywood films like Srikanth, Munjya, and Kill in the same interview. The public’s response to his comments remains to be seen as the controversy continues to unfold.