A light-hearted moment between actors Rana Daggubati and Teja Sajja at the recent IIFA Awards in Dubai has sparked unexpected controversy, with some fans now calling for Teja to apologize. What started as friendly banter has left a section of Mahesh Babu’s fanbase feeling slighted.
The IIFA Awards, typically hosted by Bollywood stars, saw Tollywood actors Rana Daggubati and Teja Sajja take the stage this year, adding a fresh, Southern touch to the event. During the ceremony, Rana introduced Teja with an enthusiastic buildup, saying, “He’s still the same—always staying away from controversies, soft-spoken, a heartthrob to millions, the lover boy, the action star, the one and only…” At this point, Teja jumped in, asking, “Is all this buildup really necessary?”
What followed was a playful exchange between the two, but it has since caused a stir online. Rana, continuing the joke, responded, “I was talking about Mahesh Babu.” Teja replied with a smile, “Then why did I feel like it was about me?”
Rana then added, “Exactly! Both of you started as child artists. He’s now a superstar, and you’re a superhero. Both of you have films releasing for Sankranti.” Teja quickly cut in, saying, “Let’s not bring up that Sankranti topic.” Amused, Rana asked, “Oh, is it such a sensitive topic?”
The clip of this exchange quickly went viral, leading some Mahesh Babu fans to criticize Teja for what they perceived as a disrespectful tone. They claim that Teja’s comment about Sankranti was dismissive, given that Mahesh Babu has a major release slated for the festival season. Many fans have since taken to social media, demanding that Teja issue an apology for what they feel was an inappropriate joke.
However, others feel the reaction is overblown. Many netizens argue that the exchange was clearly playful and that Teja didn’t mean any disrespect. They point out that Rana brought up the Sankranti clash as a joke, and Teja responded in a way that avoided any direct comparison. Supporters of Teja also believe that it’s unfair to judge him based on a short video clip without the full context of the conversation, noting that there was no intent to offend anyone.
To add some context, this Sankranti season is set to see some big box office clashes, with Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram, Nagarjuna’s Naa Saami Ranga, Venkatesh’s Saindhav, and Teja Sajja’s Hanu-Man all hitting theaters. Despite being a smaller film, Hanu-Man has already gained strong momentum and is expected to do well at the box office. Meanwhile, Guntur Kaaram is generating enormous hype and is likely to perform strongly regardless of reviews.
In the end, it seems this light-hearted moment between Rana and Teja has turned into a topic of controversy. Whether Teja will respond to the fans’ demands or if the matter will eventually blow over remains to be seen.